The Federal Capital Territory Administration has been urged to adopt an informal market model to avert the menace of street hawking in the nation’s capital.

Executive Director, Hip City Innovation Centre, Bassey Bassey, stated this in Abuja on Wednesday at a public presentation/launch of the informal market model and call for adoption.

He called on government, development partners, corporate organisations and individuals to provide lands with a view to actualising the initiative, which has been developed by the organisation.

While highlighting challenges faced by urban poor women in legitimate commerce, including the high costs of formal market stalls and threats from government agencies due to street hawking prohibitions, Bassey said the informal market model is cost-effective.

The Guardian reports that the initiative, in partnership with Ruban Office, aims to provide women with dignified trading spaces, promoting inclusivity and supporting the global goal of “leaving no one behind” while contributing to SDG 11.

According to Bassey, this market represents the aspirations of thousands of women in informal trade in the FCT who seek to be recognised and included in city planning, stressing that when adopted and constructed, it will reduce social inequalities in our city, improve the living standards of these women, take them out of poverty and strategically position Abuja as an inclusive city.

He said, “What we are doing here today is to present the co-created market between urban poor women and our organisation between Hip City Innovation Centre, alongside our consultant, to present it to government and other stakeholders to adopt the model and replicate it on the ground. So that women who are at the lower rung of the social ladder can find dignified spaces where they can engage in legitimate trade.

“Many of the lock up shops for women are not so cheap. Many of these women find themselves on the street hawking and with the law against street hawking in Abuja, many of them have suffered until something is done.

“What we are doing here is to solve that problem of street hawking and also dignifying our women.

“For now, this can be replicated in any urban city across Nigeria but our test model is Abuja”.

Also speaking, the Founding Partner, Ruban Office, Stephen Ajadi, as well as the Acting Director, Housing, Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Ncheta Ononokpono, applauded the initiative, even as they called on chairpersons of area councils to key in.