Benue govt moves to clean up Wadata Market over health concerns

By Johnson Arua

The Benue State Government has launched a multi-sectoral intervention to improve environmental sanitation, beginning with a comprehensive assessment of Wadata Market in Makurdi following reports of poor hygiene and indiscriminate waste disposal.

The exercise, carried out on the directive of Governor Hyacinth Alia, was led by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, alongside the Commissioner for Water, Sanitation and Environment, Hon. Odoh Ugwu, Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Area, Hon. Joseph Keffi, General Manager of the Benue State Environmental Sanitation Authority (BENSESA), Chief Anta Igbato, and other senior government officials.

The team, accompanied by Wadata Market Chairman, Alhaji Isah Yakubu Gimba, inspected various sections of the market and found the sanitary condition to be unsatisfactory, with the abattoir and areas bordering the River Benue identified as the most affected by indiscriminate refuse dumping and poor waste management.

Officials warned that the unhygienic environment could trigger outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and diarrhoea, while also encouraging the breeding of disease-carrying mosquitoes, flies and rodents. They noted that blocked drainage channels, pollution and offensive odours further threaten public health and economic activities within the market.

Speaking during the inspection, Dr. Ogwuche said good health begins with a clean environment, stressing that hospitals alone cannot guarantee healthy communities if markets and public spaces remain unhygienic.

He urged traders, market leaders, transport operators, residents and other stakeholders to support government efforts by maintaining proper sanitation.

Also speaking, Hon. Ugwu outlined measures to improve hygiene in the market, including the provision of waste bins, regular refuse evacuation, enforcement of sanitation regulations, routine environmental sanitation exercises, proper disposal of abattoir waste, improved drainage maintenance and sustained public awareness campaigns.

The inspection team reaffirmed Governor Alia's commitment to ensuring that markets and other public places across the state meet acceptable environmental and public health standards. They announced immediate coordinated interventions involving relevant government agencies, market authorities and other stakeholders to restore cleanliness at Wadata Market.

The government added that similar sanitation assessments and corrective measures would be extended to other major markets across Benue State as part of a broader strategy to prevent disease outbreaks and promote healthier communities. It also urged residents to see environmental sanitation as a collective responsibility essential to protecting public health and sustaining economic growth.