Kogi State government has explained the rationale behind the construction of a new Lokoja Ultra Modern Market project embarked upon by Governor Usman Ododo.

Speaking on the new Lokoja Ultra Modern Market, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the Ododo administration is committed to ensuring that all the seven smaller markets in Lokoja are brought under one roof through the new Lokoja Ultra Modern Market.

This, he said, will help in obtaining a cleaner and safer Lokoja.

Fanwo said the Kogi State government will move all the seven smaller markets to the new Ultra Modern Market and convert the present International Market to government warehouses and the Commodity Exchange Commission.

According to the Commissioner, the project is the last leg of the Lokoja Urban Renewal Project (LURP).

“Governor Ododo is committed to ensuring that we have a capital city that is safe, beautiful and ready for business.

“The previous administration succeeded in having a single motor park for the capital city which is quite commendable.

“Those who conceived the International Market didn’t know that Lokoja will grow this big and become Nigeria’s connecting point. We have recorded a lot of accidents and Nigerians have lost so many loved ones because it was located at the intersection of two major roads,” he said.

Fanwo said the Government of Kogi State is ready to leverage the strategic location of the state for maximum commercial benefits, saying the ultra modern market will turn Kogi to the commercial hub of Nigeria when completed.

According to him, the  present administration is committed to ensuring that Lokoja looks like a 21st century state capital.

He urged traders across Lokoja and its environs not to nurse any fear as the government will ensure a “smooth transition to the new market when completed.”