The contractor for the redevelopment of the old Nandom market into a modern 24-hour market has moved onto the project site, signalling the beginning of preparatory works ahead of actual construction.
The Nandom Municipal Chief Executive, Anthony Ziniel, disclosed this on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, saying the contractor was currently on site preparing the area for construction to begin.
The development comes barely a week after concerns were raised over the apparent absence of construction activity at the site after traders occupying the old market had been asked to vacate to make way for the project.
According to Mr Ziniel, the contractor was now undertaking the necessary preparations on the site, with actual construction expected to follow.
The movement onto the site provides a fresh development in a project that has attracted considerable attention in Nandom because of its potential to transform the municipality’s commercial landscape and create new opportunities for traders and businesses.
The redevelopment of the old market is part of government’s broader 24-hour economy policy, which seeks to promote economic activity beyond conventional daytime operations, create jobs and expand opportunities for businesses.
Nandom was identified to benefit from the policy, with the old market earmarked for redevelopment into a modern facility capable of supporting extended trading and commercial activities.
The project became a key component of the development agenda outlined by Mr Ziniel during his first year as Municipal Chief Executive.
In an interview published in May, Mr Ziniel said stakeholder consultations had been undertaken and arrangements for the project had advanced, including the signing of the necessary contract to pave the way for construction.
The Assembly subsequently moved towards clearing the site, with traders and other occupants required to vacate the old market.
In February, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), during an engagement in Nandom, reported that the Assembly had secured the approval of landlords for the construction of the 24-hour economy market at the old market site.
The project reached another milestone on April 30, when the site was officially handed over to the contractor in the presence of the MCE, Assembly officials, traditional authorities, consultants and other stakeholders.
The handover was expected to pave the way for physical construction.
By June, Mr Ziniel was also projecting the new market as an important economic catalyst for Nandom. Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Nandom Community Bank, he said the completion and operation of the market would increase economic activity in the municipality and urged the bank to position itself to take advantage of the opportunities it could generate.
However, by late August, the project had come under renewed public scrutiny after concerns were raised over the absence of visible construction activity despite the relocation of traders from the old market.
The concerns prompted questions about when actual construction would begin.
Mr Ziniel subsequently rejected suggestions that the project had been abandoned, explaining that he was in contact with the consultant and that the contractor was expected to mobilise to the site.
His latest update on Tuesday now indicates that the contractor has arrived and is preparing the site for the next stage of the project.
The development effectively moves the project from a period of planning, consultations and mobilisation into physical site preparation, although the Assembly is yet to indicate when the main construction works will be completed or when the new market is expected to become operational.
For residents and traders who have followed the project since its announcement, the immediate focus will now be on whether the ongoing site preparation translates into sustained construction activity and, ultimately, delivery of the promised modern market.
Road rehabilitation
Meanwhile, work is also expected to begin on portions of the main Lawra-Nandom-Hamile road, where a contractor has mobilised to the area for pothole patching.
Mr Ziniel said the contractor was currently bringing logistics to the Mission Park in Nandom in preparation for the exercise.
The work will begin from the speed ramp near the Rural Bank and proceed towards the Nandom Hospital before the contractor returns to continue from the speed ramp towards Hamile.
The intervention is expected to address some of the deteriorating sections of the major road linking Nandom with Lawra and Hamile.
Source: www.kumasimail.com/Photo credit – Mohammed Abdulai
