The Plateau State Executive Council has approved the construction of Jos main market popularly called TERMINUS Market burnt down many years ago.
The council reached the decision yesterday, at its virtual meeting presided over by Governor Simon Bako Lalong, who is presently in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) with other governors for the 11th Annual investment summit.
The approval was sequel to a memo submitted by the Commissioner for Urban Development, Idris Gambon, who is supervising the ministry of commerce and industry to the council, with a proposal for a Public-Private Partnership Joint Venture to be funded by JAIZ Bank Nigeria Plc.
Briefing Newsmen after the council meeting, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Dan Manjan explained that the determination and resilience of Governor Simon Bako Lalong to fulfil his campaign promises to the people by ensuring that the market is reconstructed has finally paid off with the agreement by JAIZ Bank Plc to partner with Plateau State Government in funding the project.
Giving details of PPP joint venture, supervising commissioner for commerce and industry, Hon. Idris Gambo revealed that the entire project will be funded with a total of 4,231 shops of different sizes expected to be constructed on 44 percent of land totalling 7.4 Hectares. He said the rest of the land space will provide for Parking, Banks, Banks, Fire station, Police stations, Administrative blocks and other facilities.
The Commissioner disclosed that the market wholly belongs to Plateau State Government and will be managed by the Jos Main Market Authority, While the investor will recover part of their investment from proceeds of the sale of shops.
He said the Executive. Council resolved that those who were displaced from the burnt market will be given the first option of acquiring the new shops which will be provided under a flexible payment plan to ensure that genuine traders and people of Plateau State are not left out.
It was also agreed that work on the adjourning roads from the Gangster axis will be intensified with the possibility of dualization to ensure that traffic congestion does not prevail when business activities resume in the market.
The estimated total cost for the construction of three phases of the market is 9.4 Billion Naira.
It could be recalled that the genesis of Jos main market emanates from the regime of the first military Governor of the State, late police Commissioner Joseph Denchi Gomwalk in the 70s’, in pursuance of its continuity of the main market, the regime of the first civilian governor of the State, late chief Solomon Lar did his best superlatively and was subsequently, completed by Retired Navy captain Samuel Bitrus Atukum and commissioned by the then Military Head of State and commander in chief, General Muhammadu Buhari in 1984.
The Jos main Market was regarded as one of the largest markets in the West African region, accommodating thousands of influxes across different nooks and corners for business activities.
