One year after the completion of the newly constructed multi-billion naira modern cattle market in Soro, Ganjuwa LGA of Bauchi State, the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) on Sunday, officially handed over the market to the Bauchi State Government.
In his opening remarks, the Executive Director, Operations, NEDC, Abdulsalam Yahaya Ahmed, stated that the market is part of the commission’s efforts to promote economic revamping in the North East subregion following devastation by insurgency.
He stressed that the commission is confident that the new cattle will enhance business operations in Soro and Bauchi State as a whole considering that the market is one of the biggest in terms of cattle sales in the area.
Ahmed commended Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir for providing an enabling environment for NEDC to embark on various developmental projects in the future state.
While commissioning and handing over the market to Bauchi state Government through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Managing Director/CEO of NEDC, Mohammed Goni Alkali said that the market is designed to be a major source of revenue and employment for the people of the state.
He stressed the importance of the market to the economic development of the North-East subregion considering that it is a major cattle market in the area.
According to him, “History has it the old market had been a source of revenue but because of its former location, it had led to the death of many people over the years, the more reason the NEDC intervened.
“Every citizen of the North-East subregion has a stake in the market. I am from Borno State and I have a stake here, people from Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe and Taraba states can come and transact business here because it belongs to all of us.”
Goni Alkali urged the government and people of Soro to take good care of the market by regularly fixing any fittings that get damaged.
He said, “On behalf of the NEDC Board and Management, I hereby hand over the Soro modern cattle market to Bauchi state government for the economic growth and development of Bauchi State.”
While receiving the market, State Governor, Bala Mohammed commended NEDC for the various interventions in the state saying that the state has benefited from the commission tremendously.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Yakubu Bello, the Governor stressed the importance of the cattle market saying that it will go a long way in providing sources of employment for many people especially, Youths.
The Governor added that it will also serve as a source of revenue generation for the community, LGA and the state as a whole assuring that the facility will be well maintained by the government.
The construction of the market began in 2021 when the contract was awarded by the NEDC with a one-year initial completion period but suffered a lot of setbacks before it was finally completed in 2023.
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