The Director General of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust, Mohamed Fuaad Daboh, has assured members of the public that the Sewa Grounds Market project will be completed by the end of this year. He made this assurance during the official handing over of the market to contractors on Monday 29th August 2022 at the Sewa Grounds.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Daboh explained that the journey to the completion of the Sewa Grounds Market had been rocky, but that he was comforted by the desire of His Excellency the President, Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, to provide an ultra-modern, secure and comfortable marketing environment for the traders.

Commenting on the benefits of the Project, the Director General described the market as a one-stop shop that would provide a conducive, friendly, secure, and safe marketing environment not only to traders but also to customers alike. He informed the audience that the facility would constitute One thousand, five hundred and forty-four (1,544) open stalls, One Hundred and Seventy (170) Upscale lockup shops, Two Hundred and Seventy – Seven (277) medium-scale shops, Seventy-Six (76) stores, a creche, modern toilets facilities with urinals, a police post, fire-fighting agents and Twenty-four hours electricity, among others.

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The Trust, according to the Director General, would not only benefit from rental incomes but the project would ease compliance as Inspectors would efficiently conduct routine inspections in a market clustered with employees and employers.

He concluded on a note of commendation to the Ministries of Transport and Aviation and Trade and Industry as well as the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, for their support and assured the market women that the project would be completed in record time.

On his part, the Minister of Transport & Aviation Minister, Kabinneh Kallon, expressed gratification on the progress of the work on the facility so far, stating that the project started about ten (10) years ago, but stalled along the way, only to be revived by President Bio, adding that it would be let out to traders on a rental basis. He called on traders who would be occupying the facility to be the watchdogs and to report any willful destruction of any of the facility’s assets.

Commenting on the Project, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Edward Hinga Sandi, described street trading along the Sani Abacha Street as “risky and dangerous for business people”.

“The Sewa Grounds market”, he stated, “is convenient with parking space and banking facilities, in addition to many other amenities”. The Minister called on citizens not to politicize the issue of Abacha Street traders and concluded that market women do not deserve to be on the streets.

On his part, the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security, Mohamed Lansana Dumbuya, cautioned contractors to be mindful of security issues, adding that the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, was very passionate about the welfare of traders and therefore was yearning to see an economy led by the private sector. He further revealed that steps had been taken to formalize the informal sector economy “in order to have a convenient place and also a comprehensive data for them”.
This epoch-making ceremony was climaxed by the official handing over of the Sewa Grounds Market Project to the Contractors and a site tour.