Kubwa is one of the oldest satellite towns in the federal Capital Territory (FCT).
One of the earliest federal government estates, Federal Housing Authority Estate is located in this sprawling satellite town.
Located about 40 kilometres away from the city centre, the neighbourhood which boasts of amenities lacking in several satellite towns is densely populated.
Many have attributed the population density to the proximity of the town to the city centre.
One of the major problems faced by people resident in Kubwa had been traffic congestion, as it is located at one of the entry points into Abuja.
The problem may have however been put to bay with the awrd of contract for the expansion of Kubwa Expressway to 10 lanes by the FCT administration.
The contract is near completion presently.
But the worries are still far from over in terms of having a standard market befitting the developing standard of the community.
One would expect that since Kubwa is one of the major suburban districts in Abuja, much attention would be paid to it but the reverse is the case.?
Despite its status as residential abode for many civil servants, Kubwa, located in Bwari Area Council cannot boast of a market befitting its status.
Getting to Kubwa Market is a herculean task especially if you are driving.
As you approach the market, you can hardly tell between the market and the road as trading activities have almost taken up the narrow road leading to the market
Commercial vehicle operators do not help the case either as they have no qualms about dropping or picking passengers anywhere they deem necessary, even in the middle of the road.
The stench that oozes from there is so terrible that it can send you back if you are a first time visitor to the market.
This has been a source of concern for many residents of the area, who say the dirty state of the market and activities of hoodlums who use the market as their abode pose serious health and security risks to them.
A cross section of Kubwa residents who spoke with our correspondent have called for the relocation and upgrading of the market by concerned authorities.
A resident of Kubwa Village, Dominion Akubor, who spoke to LEADERSHIP, noted that the traffic congestion along the Kubwa Market Road was not good for the area.
According to him, the proximity of the market to the narrow road was a major source of concern for residents and motorists.
Akubor who attributed the traffic congestion around the market to the inadequate space for market place, suggested that the market should be relocated to a bigger site.
“The market is congested and too close to the narrow main road. The market ought to have been relocated before now, because when you visit the market during weekends, you will not be able to pass by because of the traffic congestion and the activities of bus drivers who drop and pick passengers by the roadside, blocking the only access way to the market.
“According to the Nigeria Highway Code, vehicles are not supposed to be double parked. Double parking is wrong but in Kubwa market, the way the vehicles are parked, when there is an emergency, I doubt if anybody can survive it, because if anybody wants to leave immediately, they will not be make it, which is not good for a market in a developed satellite town like Kubwa,” he added.
Speaking further, Akubor lamented the filthy nature of the market and called on authorities of Bwari Area Council to work towards sanitising it as they generate rfevenue from the market.
“There are a lot of attachments in the market and this makes it look even dirtier. People selling fairly used clothes take over the entire road side, especially in the evening and if there is brake failure from a vehicle around there, you can only imagine the disaster.
“I sincerely appeal to authorities in charge of maintaining markets in Bwari Area Council and Abuja at large to come to the aid of the residents of Kubwa, if possible to relocate the market, or work on the expansion of the road, because when it starts raining the market area will be something else and also dangerous to the health of residents of the area,” he said.
An Ecologist resident in Kubwa, Mrs. Maria Agbo, described the state of the market as dangerous to the health of residents of the area, who patronize the market for their daily food needs, saying that the unkempt state of the market can constitute health hazard to residents of the area if not properly managed before it gets out of hand.
According to her, in constructing a market, in a developed satellite town like Kubwa, the health of the people should be put into consideration; there should be drainage system to manage the flow of water during the rainy season and proper waste bins to put dirt gathered from the market.
“In Kubwa market, you do not have waste bins or proper waste dump sites to dump dirty. When you enter the market, the kind of smell that hits you is nauseating because of the stagnant water all over the market.
“There is serious health implication when the environment is not tidy, and most of the food stuff sold in Kubwa market are perishable items, which can also be eaten raw, and there is excess perching of disease carrying insects on them.? There is serious need for the market to be relocated from where it is presently to a bigger space for free flow of air, because of the serious congestion of the market,” she said.
Agbo further stated that a recent research on the market showed that about 80 per cent of the waste generated from the market is biodegradable and if properly disposed of, could be used in the production of fertilisers.
“There are Four Rs that will help us to improve our domestic waste disposal, one rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle; people should rethink on alternative waste management especially on the use of non biodegradable materials, such as polythene or nylon bags which are also common in Kubwa market,” she added.
Speaking to the Public Relation Office of the Abuja Market Management Limited (AMML), Mr. Innocent Amaechina, he said that the management of Kubwa market was not the responsibility of AMML, but that of Bwari Area Council.
Efforts to get authorities of the area council comment on the matter however proved abortive at the time of going to press.
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