AMMC promises improved facilities at informal markets in FCT

By Philip Yatai

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has taken steps to improve facilities at informal markets in the territory.

The coordinator of the council, Mr Felix Obuah, stated this on Friday, during a fact-finding visits to informal markets in Area 7, Area 10 and GSM Village in Abuja.

Obuah explained that the visit was to see the current state of the facilities in the markets to be able to determine the needed interventions to improve them.

He described informal markets as critical to the development of every city or community, assuring that the FCTA, through the council, would develop plans to improve the facilities.

The coordinator added that the visit was also to know some of the facilities owned by FCTA but were taken over by illegal occupants, and find ways to address the challenge.

Obuah added that AMMC would partner with the market officials and relevant stakeholders to redesign the markets and beautify them for better commercial activities.

According to him, the goal is to improve revenue generation for the FCT Administration.

Obuah who observed the presence of touts at the GSM Village, along Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Wuse Zone 1, directed the officials of the market to do something about it.

“I came to the GSM Village to see what is happening and we discovered that most of the revenue meant for the FCTA are not being taped.

“So, we want to see how we can review the tax rates and make sure that everybody is comfortable and paying the taxes due to the administration.

“We cannot sit in our offices every time. We have to go round to see what we can do to add value to the city,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obuah was accompanied to the fact-finding visits by the Director of Urban Affairs, Mr Dan Sani and other officials of the council. (NAN)

Edited by Emmanuel Afonne