For years, traders and buyers in Nkambe have struggled with limited market infrastructure, forced to carry out business under makeshift shelters or in open spaces vulnerable to the rains and scorching sun. The lack of adequate facilities not only slowed commercial activity but also limited the municipality’s ability to harness its role as a key trading hub in Donga-Mantung as a boarder Division with Africa's most populous nation, Nigeria.
That picture is changing. On 5 September 2025, the Nkambe Council provisionally received a state-of-the-art facility comprising four blocks of 84 modern sheds at the Nkambe New Market. The infrastructure, constructed by ETS Wirkom Fidelis, was officially handed over in a ceremony presided over by Mayor Nfor Musa Shey, flanked by councillors, representatives of government technical services and traditional leaders.
The project, which forms part of the council’s wider development agenda, seeks to transform trading conditions, enhance orderliness, and increase business opportunities for hundreds of market users. The reception was also timed to coincide with the period leading up to school resumption, when economic activity typically intensifies.
The ceremonial opening was blessed by the Fon of Nkambe, who cut the ribbon to symbolically mark the transition from construction to public use. With the sheds now accessible, traders are expected to operate in more dignified, hygienic, and secure conditions, creating an environment conducive to fair competition and improved income generation.
Beyond immediate benefits for sellers and buyers, the market sheds are set to play a pivotal role in stimulating the local economy. By providing space for more organised commerce, the new facilities are expected to encourage rural producers to bring goods to town, reduce post-harvest losses, and support families seeking to meet the financial demands of schooling and other household needs.
The project also signals the council’s determination to modernising urban infrastructure as part of its 2026–2030 Development Plan, ensuring that Nkambe’s growth is anchored in improved services and inclusive economic opportunities.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom with reports
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