The government has temporarily suspended plans to redevelop the Agbogbloshie 24-Hour Economy Market to allow for broader consultations with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), market leaders and other stakeholders.
The decision was announced on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, by the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, during an engagement with traders and leaders of the Yam Market at Agbogbloshie.
Mr Ayariga was accompanied by the Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, and the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, for the engagement, which focused on the proposed redevelopment of the area under the government’s 24-Hour Economy Market initiative.
Explaining the decision to place the project on hold, Mr Ayariga said the temporary suspension would provide an opportunity for the government, the AMA and market stakeholders to carefully assess the existing situation and agree on a redevelopment plan that responds to the needs of the area.
He said the government wanted the redevelopment to improve infrastructure and trading conditions without unnecessarily disrupting the livelihoods of people who already operate within the market enclave.
According to him, the consultations would examine the proposed design, the scope of the project, its cost and the funding required to execute an arrangement acceptable to all parties.
Mr Ayariga stressed that the government’s broader objective under the 24-Hour Economy Market programme was to improve market infrastructure across the country.
He explained that the initiative was not intended to focus solely on constructing entirely new markets, particularly where doing so could result in the displacement of existing commercial activities.
“Constructing a new market in a way that merely displaces an existing market would not provide a complete solution,” the Minister indicated.
He said the government therefore wanted the redevelopment of Agbogbloshie to take into consideration the traders and businesses already operating in the area.
Mr Ayariga also indicated that the standard design developed for the 24-Hour Economy Market programme was not necessarily fixed and could be adjusted to meet the specific circumstances of Accra.
He said the consultations could result in changes to the proposed design or an expansion of the project to accommodate more traders if that became necessary.
“If necessary, the design could be reconfigured or the scope of the project expanded to accommodate more traders,” he said, adding that additional funding could be considered if a larger redevelopment became necessary.
The Minister said the government was prepared to assess the financial implications of any revised plan before determining how best to proceed.
Mr Ayariga cited developments in Kumasi as an example of how the 24-Hour Economy Market initiative could be adapted to existing circumstances.
According to him, the intervention in Kumasi was being tailored towards improving and completing an existing market rather than applying the standard programme design without modification.
He said Accra would similarly require a solution based on the realities on the ground, rather than automatically adopting an identical design being implemented in other parts of the country.
The Minister noted that the circumstances surrounding markets differed from one locality to another and therefore required flexibility in planning and implementation.
The market leadership welcomed the decision to continue consultations, describing the move as an opportunity to find a redevelopment arrangement that would address the concerns of traders while improving conditions within the Agbogbloshie enclave.
A representative of the market said traders supported efforts to modernise the area and improve its infrastructure.
The representative further assured the government, the AMA and the relevant ministries of the market leadership’s willingness to participate in the consultations and work towards an agreed redevelopment plan.
The engagement is expected to pave the way for further discussions between the government, the AMA and market stakeholders on the design, scale and implementation of the Agbogbloshie project.
The government’s decision effectively places the proposed redevelopment on hold pending the outcome of those consultations and the development of an arrangement that seeks to balance infrastructure improvements with the interests of existing market operators.
By 1960news.com
