The Local Government Minister says traders at Nzema and Kokomba markets will help decide how the 24-hour model market project is designed and how stalls are shared.
Traders at the Nzema and Kokomba markets in Agbogbloshie, Accra, have been told they will be directly involved in decisions about the redevelopment of the two facilities under government's 24-hour model market programme.
The assurance came from Mahama Ayariga, Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, during a working tour of both markets on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. He was accompanied by the Minister for Transport and the Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the local authority that manages the capital.
According to reporting by Adom Online, the ministers inspected the condition of the markets and then sat down with market leaders to discuss what redevelopment should look like.
Traders to lead talks on allocations
One of the biggest worries whenever a major Ghanaian market is rebuilt is who gets a stall afterwards. Mr Ayariga addressed that concern head-on, telling traders they would not be bystanders.
"You will be part of the process, and you will lead the discussions on how the redevelopment should be done and how the allocations should be made," he said.
He explained that government's aim is to put up modern market structures that make trading easier without pushing out the people who already earn their living there. Plans, he added, would be shaped around the specific conditions of each market rather than applying one blueprint to both.
Congestion was singled out as a problem to be fixed, alongside the wider goal of opening up better economic opportunities for the traders.
Funding still to be worked out
The Minister did not announce a cost or a construction timeline. Instead, he said he would hold talks with the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and the Minister for Finance to look at how the project can be paid for.
That detail matters. Land arrangements at Agbogbloshie have long been a sensitive issue, and any redevelopment will need both a clear title position and a funding source before contractors can move in.
Market leadership, for their part, welcomed the consultation and indicated they were ready to work with government on the project.
Why it matters
Agbogbloshie is one of Accra's busiest trading points, especially for foodstuffs moving from the north of the country to the capital. Nzema and Kokomba markets feed a supply chain that touches household food prices across Greater Accra.
For Ghanaians abroad who send money home or run small trading interests in Accra, the shape of the redevelopment, and particularly how stalls are allocated afterwards, will decide whether family members currently trading at Agbogbloshie keep their space.
No date has been given for when construction or relocation might begin. The next visible step is the consultation process Mr Ayariga promised, followed by the funding talks with the two other ministries.
