President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday cut the sod for the construction of a 24-hour economy market at Kukuo in the Tamale Metropolis, the second sod-cutting of the day after a similar ceremony earlier in Bimbila.
The Tamale market, sitting on three and a half acres of land, is the largest model in the entire nationwide 24-hour economy market programme, a distinction that reflects the scale and commercial importance of the Tamale Metropolitan area.
President Mahama said he was pleasantly surprised that such a sizeable piece of land had been secured in a city where space is increasingly scarce.
“I was born and bred in Tamale and I know that land is virtually finished. I did not know there would be land like this,” he said, thanking the traditional rulers, the mayor and all those who worked to locate and secure the site.
The market has been designed to operate around the clock, providing traders, farmers and residents with a fully serviced commercial hub at any hour of the day.
It will feature 71 lockable shops, 132 open sheds and an open pavement that can accommodate approximately 160 small tables for traders who cannot afford the shops or sheds, ensuring the facility serves all economic levels.
Among its many facilities, the market will have 10 warehouses where traders can store unsold goods overnight, a lorry terminal for offloading farm produce, a designated area for commercial vehicles, a cold store for meat vendors, and a butcher shop with space for 30 meat sellers.
A mall and two restaurants, one VIP and one lower-priced chop bar, will also be part of the complex, along with 12 guest rooms for traders who need to stay overnight.
For families, the market will have a crèche where mothers can leave their children while they work, and a women’s bank where traders can deposit their earnings safely rather than carrying cash home.
A clinic with six beds, a pharmacy, and a fire service station will serve both the market and the surrounding community, while a permanent police station will be on site for security.
The market will also have an information office with a public announcement system, an environmental office to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, solar panels to keep the lights on during power outages, a biodigester for waste treatment, and a drainage system built beneath the market floor.
The contractor has been given 24 months to complete the project, though the President said many contractors on the nationwide programme had expressed confidence they could finish ahead of schedule.
“This market is going to become the nerve centre of the Tamale metropolitan area,” President Mahama said.
The Tamale market is part of a nationwide programme to build 24-hour economy markets in all 261 districts across the country, which the President described as a fulfilment of a campaign promise made during the 2024 elections.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
