A Non-Governmental Organisation, HipCity Innovation Centre has urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration has been urged to adopt an informal market model to curb the menace of street hawking in the nation’s capital.
Executive Director of the organisation, Bassey Bassey, stated this in Abuja on Wednesday at a public presentation/launch of the informal market model.
He said the initiative would create sustainable opportunities for women at the lower rung of the social ladder, provide them with affordable trading spaces within a structured and supportive environment.
He said: “What we’re doing here today is presenting the market—the market created between urban poor women and our organization, alongside our consultants, to the government and other stakeholders.
“The goal is to have the model adopted and replicated on the ground so that women who are disadvantaged can find dignified spaces to engage in legitimate trade.”
He added that the initiative is borne out of years of research, which highlighted the struggles urban poor women face in accessing formal markets due to the prohibitive costs of renting or buying stalls.
He added: “Many of these women cannot afford to pay for stalls in formal markets, where even the so-called low-cost spaces are not truly affordable.
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“As a result, many end up hawking on the streets, which exposes them to harassment from law enforcement due to the law against street hawking in Abuja.”
He called on government, development partners, corporate organisations and individuals to provide lands with a view to actualising the initiative, which has been developed by the organisation.
The Founding Partner, Ruban Office, Stephen Ajadi applauded the initiative, even as he called on chairpersons of area councils to key in.
Ajadi said that the move was aimed at creating informal spaces of commerce.
“The basic aim of what we’re doing is to create very pragmatic and sustainable spaces for people with very low incomes in Abuja, particularly women,” Ajadi said.
Commending the initiative, Acting Director, Housing Satellite Towns Development Department, FCTA, Ononokpono Benson, said the move would further help curb the spate of criminals in the society.
She advised for more partnership with the federal government as part of an effort to drive needed development for women in the society.
She also hinted that the FCTA would be instrumental in the provision of land to champion the initiative.
“The government will bring in, maybe their technologies, their land, while the company sources the resources to do it, charge to the country,” she said.