By: Celestine Avi and Seth Eyiah
President John Mahama has commended the contractor working on the Nadowli-Kaleo 24-Hour Market project, describing the progress of work as encouraging.
President Mahama made the remarks when he inspected the project as part of the first day of his two-day Resetting Ghana Tour of the Upper West Region.
The President said the government was constructing 24-Hour Markets across all 261 constituencies to provide reliable trading spaces and strengthen economic activity in local communities.
“We are constructing these 24-Hour Markets in all 261 constituencies, and I can see that this is a serious contractor,” President Mahama said.
He explained that contractors awarded the projects were expected to have the financial capacity to commence work with their own resources, rather than waiting for mobilisation payments.
President Mahama said contractors would receive payment once they attained 15 percent completion, allowing them to sustain the pace of work until the projects were completed.
“The money is available, so there is no reason why any contractor should fail to advance the work to this stage,” he stated.
He said the markets would create reliable outlets for farmers to sell their produce and provide opportunities for traders to earn decent incomes.
“These 261 markets across the country will provide trading spaces for our pepper farmers, onion farmers, maize farmers, and many others,” he noted.
President Mahama encouraged other contractors working on similar projects to emulate the progress being made at Nadowli.
He also assured the chiefs and people of Nadowli-Kaleo that concerns over a nearby bridge would receive immediate attention.
President Mahama directed the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways to instruct the technical team to inspect the bridge immediately.
He disclosed that the required steel components were already available and directed that they be mobilised and installed to reopen the area.
President Mahama said he would return to the constituency with the chiefs and other stakeholders to commission the completed market.
The Nadowli-Kaleo project forms part of the government’s nationwide 24-Hour Market initiative aimed at expanding local trading infrastructure and supporting economic activity in communities.
