Business
Mile One Market Resettlement Saga
The first phase of the Rivers State Government funded reconstruction of the Rumuwoji (Mile 1) market in Port Harcourt has been concluded and a process is already on to allocate the 1,000 stalls to traders.
From available records, the last fire incidence witnessed at the Mile I Market occurred on January 6, 2004. This was after a sequence of such other fires, some of which were blamed on arson.
For a long time after this latest disaster, traders conducted their businesses under canopies. In fact, the entire market could be described as a forest of multicoloured umbrellas.
This was indeed the situation of things while the commission of inquing constituted by the then governor, Dr. Peter Odili, strived to uncover the causes of the fire incidence.
It would also be recalled that contract for this first phase of reconstruction was awarded by the Celestine Omehia administration in July, 2007 to Diamond Group (Nigeria) Limited at a cost of N3 billion.
The initial contract scope was for delivery to the state government of 1000 lock-up stalls in a modern, state- of- the- art, multiplex structure on three floors; but based on expert advice, the design was changed to a two-floor structure.
Daniel Iheme is the chairman of Mile One Market Traders Association (MOMTA). According to him, Omehia government did inform the traders union of the state’s intention to rebuild the market and the need for the traders to relocate temporarily.
On assumption of office in October 2007, the incumbent governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi did not put aside the reconstruction plan. In fact, on his maiden visit the market, the governor reassured that the reconstruction work would continue.
According to Iheme, “Governor Amaechi in his speech during his visit assured traders that they will be returned back as soon as the rebuilding is completed.”
Another committee was set up by the governor in 2009, according to the MOMTA chairman but traders did not know the committee members until recently when a publication was made, directing them to pay for the stalls.
The publication made by the committee on Mile One Market stalls allocation, headed by the Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ken Chikere, making payment of the sum of N10,000 open to members of the public attracted several reactions from traders, who had expressed fears that the exercise might be hijacked by politicians, rather than resettlement of the displaced traders.
The five-man committee for allocation of Mile One Market stalls which also include the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Manuela George Izunwa; Commissioner for Environment, Kingsley Chinda; Works Commissioner Dakuku Peterside and the Urban Development Commissioner, Osima Ginah, had severally reassured traders of the committee’s commitment to give them priority.
In a press statement, Osima Ginah had said that preference will be given to displaced traders, even though the process will be thrown open to all traders, including the displaced traders who must purchase, fill and submit the stall allocation forms.
In his word, Ginah said, “The governor has directed the committee to distribute the stalls equitably to displaced traders. We collated data of genuine displaced traders”.
He highlighted that the committee is working with such data and will ensure that displaced trades are given stalls before other traders, and dispelled rumours making the rounds over alleged plan to short change traders that were displaced.
Barrister Ginah also posited that the completed market structure had 1,000 stalls, while displaced traders of that section of the market are between 650 and 700 traders, and that the second phase of the construction will commence after the first allocation is concluded; and will be given out on payment of minimal fee to government by traders.
But the traders union is strongly disputing the figure given by the commissioner as the number of displaced traders and this has been a source of worry to them as they have said that the displaced traders are 1,304, comprising 654 at Cultural Centre and 650 at Ojukwu field, pointing out that the said 1,000 stalls built by government is not even enough for the displaced traders.
Giving strength to the statement of Osima Ginah, the chairman of the committee, Ken Chikere, in his recent press statement reassured that the allocation of the shops will be transparent in all fronts.
According to him, “The current sale of forms is going on smoothly at the Ministry of Justice, and all stakeholders are being carried along”.
Barrister Chikere in his statement also said that the committee will make use of the registers at its disposal which include the one submitted by Port Harcourt City Local Government (PHALGA), the traders, and the one raised by the committee for confirmation.
He assured traders of the committee’s preparedness to give them priority before any other persons and solicited for cooperation of all stakeholders in the exercise.
According to the secretary of MOMTA, Mr. Uche Marvelous, “Traders are appealing to the governor to clear the air by coming up to address this matter. Paying N10,000 is not the problem, but we are worried on the fate of displaced traders. Let the governor also remember the promise he made to traders on resettling them after the completion of the project”.
Furthermore, the secretary posited, “our fear is that the other traders that are yet to move might create some difficulties, if those at the playground and cultural centre are not reallocated, and how would the Rumuwoji community react on traders if they are not reallocated. That is why we want the governor’s intervention on this mater”.
It is true that there are still uncertainties concerning the re allocation of Mile One traders, but it is ideal that issues be sorted out accordingly to make for meaningful progress in the system.
Corlins Walter
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh said this at the 8th annual induction and conference of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN).
He explained that abandoned projects continue to lock up public funds that could have been used for infrastructure development, industrial growth, job creation and essential social services.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Chris Osa Isokpunwu, he said the impact goes beyond financial losses, as incomplete projects affect communities and limit access to important public services
He cited examples of that remain unopened, schools that cannot accommodate students, roads that fail to connect communities and electricity projects that have not delivered their intended benefits.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, also identified poor project management as a major challenge affecting development in Nigeria.
He revealed that the institute had developed a project management curriculum for Nigerian universities, which has received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC). The programme is expected to enable universities to offer project management as a bachelor’s degree.
Mbadiwe further referenced findings by the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee, which identified 11,886 ongoing federal capital projects in 2011, with an estimated financial commitment of ?7.78 trillion.
He noted that inadequate planning, supervision, accountability and implementation were among the factors contributing to the abandonment of projects across the country.
The minister called for stronger project management structures across ministries, departments and agencies to improve planning, monitoring and evaluation.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had introduced a 90-day implementation reporting cycle to strengthen transparency and monitor the progress of government programmes.
Ikenga said the company remained committed to Nigeria’s power sector and would continue investing in its operations despite the challenging business environment.
He spoke in Lagos at the third edition of the Shell Power Conference, themed “Powering Nigeria’s Progress: Turning Ambition and Action into Sustainable Impact”.
The Transcorp Power chief said the company would sustain electricity generation, invest in its facilities and deliver value to shareholders.
“Transcorp Power is a long-term player, not a short-term player. This year has been challenging, but what is important is getting power to schools, hospitals and businesses to power progress,” he said.
Ikenga said the company’s focus on operational efficiency and investment had strengthened its contribution to Nigeria’s electricity supply.
He disclosed that since acquiring the Ughelli Power Plant in Delta State in 2013, Transcorp Power had quadrupled its available generation capacity.
He also said the company became the first privatised power generation firm to receive a post-privatisation discharge certificate after fulfilling all its privatisation obligations.
The company’s unaudited results for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, showed a profit before tax of N83.1 billion, while its profit-before-tax margin rose to 31.2 per cent from 29.6 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Its total assets rose to 11.7 per cent amounting to N629.5 billion, while shareholders’ funds grew 8.9 per cent to N199.8 billion. Cash and cash equivalents also rose to N10.3 billion, supported by improved collections.
On the company’s contribution to grid stability, Ikenga said Transcorp Power’s black-start capability enabled it to restart operations without relying on electricity from the national grid.
He explained that the capability allowed the company to support power restoration following grid disturbances, helping to restore electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries.
Ikenga noted that Nigeria had an installed electricity generation capacity of about 13,000 megawatts, with an estimated potential of 50 gigawatts, adding that realising the potential would require effective coordination across the entire value chain.
“Everything in the value chain has to work,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, regulators and private-sector operators, alongside increased private investment, to build a sustainable electricity market.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Maryann Duke.
The statement said Oyedele pointed to “improved digital systems, including electronic invoicing, as a key driver behind a record of N33tn in government revenue collected between January and October 2026.”
The minister said the performance demonstrated the potential of technology to improve revenue administration, strengthen compliance and increase efficiency across government institutions.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Digital Sovereignty and Ethics: Guarding the Economy for the Next Generation,’ Oyedele warned that Nigeria risked losing substantial economic opportunities if it continued to depend heavily on foreign digital infrastructure.
Citing Nigerian Communications Commission figures, he disclosed that the country recorded more than 157 million active internet subscriptions as of May 2026.
He explained that these connections generated significant volumes of information through financial transactions, healthcare, education and taxation.
However, citing estimates from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Oyedele said as much as 90 per cent of the country’s data was hosted abroad.
According to him, the situation has implications for foreign exchange expenditure, employment opportunities, technological skills and Nigeria’s control over information generated by its citizens.
He compared the country’s reliance on foreign digital infrastructure with its historical dependence on imported refined petroleum products, warning against a situation where Nigerian data would be processed abroad and the resulting services sold back to domestic users.
The minister consequently advocated greater investment in local data infrastructure, technical expertise, cybersecurity and predictable regulations to enable Nigerian businesses to capture more value from the digital economy.
He clarified that digital sovereignty should not translate into technological isolation but should strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to participate competitively in international markets.
Addressing graduating students, Oyedele urged young Nigerians to become developers of technological solutions rather than remain primarily consumers of products created elsewhere.
He identified artificial intelligence as both a disruptive force and an opportunity for innovation, advising graduates to acquire relevant digital skills alongside critical thinking, creativity, sound judgement and integrity.
The minister also cautioned against irresponsible online behaviour, explaining that digital footprints increasingly influence employment prospects, commercial relationships and professional credibility.
Oyedele outlined five priorities for graduates, including continuous learning, value creation, integrity, responsible digital citizenship and active participation in national development.
“Your degree is evidence of what you have learned. Your competence will demonstrate what you can do. Your character will reveal who you truly are,” he told the graduating students.
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