In line with the new guidelines on the operations of markets issued by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has directed the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML) to ensure compliance with the new template.
The new guideline says only shops and stalls selling food and groceries shall be allowed to open to customers between 10:00am and 2:00pm on alternate days or less frequently.
After a meeting on Monday, April 6 between officials of the FCT Administration and relevant security agencies, it was agreed that the new arrangement will be fully implemented in the FCT.
Accordingly, Markets in Abuja will now operate only three times weekly; that is on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 10.00 am to 2:00pm.
This means that after the close of market activities on Wednesday April, 8th, the next market day will be next Saturday 11th, April 2020.
These are part of measures being employed in addition to other social distancing measures already put in place to limit the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in the FCT.
Market Managers and the FCT Police Command have been directed to ensure compliance with this directive by monitoring all entry and exit points of the various markets as well as activities of the traders.
FCT residents are called upon to support the efforts of government and also patronize markets within their neighbourhoods rather than going to the major markets in distant locations, in order to prevent a possible spread of the virus between communities in the FCT.
ANTHONY OGUNLEYE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
