The Kano State Government has earmarked N350 million through its State Agro-Pastoral Development Project to improve infrastructure in five major cattle markets across the state.
The markets slated for these upgrades include Falgore, Wudil, Dumbulum, Danbatta, and Getso, with renovations designed to elevate operational standards and ease business activities for traders.
The project’s coordinator, Zaharaddeen Hamisu, revealed these details during a press briefing held at the Wudil Local Government Area headquarters on Tuesday.
According to Hamisu, the planned improvements encompass the construction of loading ramps, boreholes, toilet facilities, solar-powered lighting for enhanced security, and drainage systems.
He emphasized that these enhancements aim to address long-standing challenges faced by market users and create a conducive environment for seamless business transactions.
“The state government did its best to address the challenges facing the markets to enable the traders to carry out hitch-free business activities.” Hamisu stated.
The project is scheduled for completion by June 2025, with further work planned specifically for the Wudil cattle market.
However, Hamisu stressed the need to maintain the new infrastructure and called on market users to actively contribute to its sustainability.
“For sustainability measures, we believe that the market users should do something as a revenue-generating body to complement the government’s efforts,” he advised.
Meanwhile, the acting Chairman of the Wudil Cattle Market Union, Ahmad Dauda, highlighted the immense scale of trading activities at the market.
He disclosed that every Friday, the market receives over three million cows from states including Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Sokoto, Taraba, Plateau, and Adamawa.
Dauda pointed out the risks associated with handling large sums of cash generated during market transactions, which he estimated at over N50 billion weekly.
He urged the state government to consider establishing a bank within the market premises to ensure traders’ financial security.
“Given the volume of sales, we appeal to the government to provide a banking facility within the market. This will mitigate the risks involved in managing such huge amounts of money,” Dauda stated.