Abofour Thursday Market Booms But Traders Battle Mud, Congestion And Highway Death Traps

The Abofour Thursday Market in the Offinso South Municipality remains one of the largest and most vital agricultural trading hubs in Ghana’s Ashanti Region, serving as a critical economic engine for the trade in maize, plantain and yam across West Africa.

Every Thursday, thousands of traders, buyers, transporters and farmers from across Ghana and neighbouring countries including Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali converge on the market. But behind the booming trade lies a growing crisis of infrastructure, sanitation, security and road safety that traders say is threatening lives and livelihoods.

Traders Exposed To Dust And Mud

A major concern is the deplorable physical condition of the market. Traders and agricultural produce are heavily exposed to the elements, with business often conducted on bare, unpaved ground.

During dry spells, the market is engulfed in blinding dust. During rainy seasons, the grounds turn into deep mud, making movement difficult and damaging produce.

The lack of standard lockable stores or permanent sheds has left many vendors relying on flimsy wooden and thatched structures that offer little protection.

Traders attribute the situation to a delayed market redevelopment project by government, which was aimed at shifting traders away from the highway to a modernised space but has suffered severe delays and incomplete execution.

They also accuse local authorities of prioritising daily and weekly revenue collection, such as levies on yam and maize and other goods and services without systematically reinvesting the funds into basic market flooring, stalls or roofing.

Poor Sanitation And Water Scarcity

The market also lacks basic public health amenities. There is a severe scarcity of clean running water, proper public toilets, functional urinals and organised waste management systems.

The situation creates unhygienic conditions for handling massive quantities of food meant for consumption across the country and beyond.

According to traders and observers, the local assembly has struggled to keep pace with the massive influx of thousands of regional traders, failing to install the necessary water pipelines or waste disposal infrastructure to handle the scale of a major Thursday rush.

Security Risks And Theft

Security remains another pressing challenge. Traders suffer frequent night-time break-ins and attacks by thieves who target leftover goods, capital and produce.

The open, unfenced perimeter of the market allows criminals easy entry and escape routes, while unfunctional or completely missing market lights leave the trading grounds in pitch darkness at night.

This makes it impossible for the few available watchmen to monitor the premises effectively.

Highway Traffic Congestion And Safety Hazards

Perhaps the most dangerous challenge is the severe traffic gridlock along the main Kumasi-Techiman highway every Thursday.

Spillover trading onto pavements and roadside parking creates what traders and road users describe as deathtrap hazards for pedestrians, buyers and motorists.

The crisis is worsened by the lack of a dedicated lorry park. There is no properly demarcated transit and parking space for the massive heavy-duty articulator trucks arriving from Accra, Kumasi and neighbouring countries.

Because the internal market layout is poorly organised and incomplete, traders naturally push outward onto the main road to catch the attention of passing commuters, further narrowing the highway and increasing the risk of accidents.

Strained Governance And Trust Deficit

Underlying all the challenges is ongoing friction between market traders and the Offinso South Municipal Assembly, characterised by protests and a reluctance to fully cooperate with local policies.

Traders say local government officials have made repeated, unfulfilled commitments regarding fixing local footbridges, enhancing security and completing modern stores.

The broken promises have eroded trust and left traders feeling that the Assembly’s primary focus is collecting revenue rather than supporting their livelihoods.

Call For Urgent Action

Traders and stakeholders are now calling on the Offinso South Municipal Assembly, the Ghana Highway Authority, traditional authorities and other stakeholders to urgently intervene.

They want the completion of the market redevelopment project, provision of water, toilets and waste management facilities, fencing and lighting of the market, construction of a dedicated lorry park, and enforcement of measures to keep trading off the highway.

For many, Abofour Market is more than a trading centre. It is a lifeline for farmers, traders and families across West Africa, and they believe it deserves infrastructure that matches its economic importance.

By: Dominic Duut, Noblenews|Oyerepa News