The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) Perishables Market in Kwadon, Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe has been commissioned.
The market, designed to serve as a hub for vegetables and other perishable agricultural produce, is expected to significantly reduce post-harvest losses, improve market access for farmers and strengthen the agricultural value chain in the North-East region.
Commissioning the facility on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, described the project as a practical demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving food security through the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He noted that for decades, farmers across Nigeria have suffered heavy losses due to inadequate storage, poor transportation networks and limited access to organised markets.
According to him, the NALDA Perishable Market addresses these challenges by providing a structured platform where farmers can aggregate, preserve and sell their produce more efficiently.
Professor Yilwatda said the Tinubu administration was making strategic investments across the agricultural value chain, from production and irrigation to storage, processing and market access, to ensure that agriculture remains a sustainable source of income and economic growth.
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He commended the partnership between NALDA and the Gombe State Government, describing it as a model of collaboration capable of transforming rural economies and creating wealth for farming communities.
The APC National Chairman stated that the market would not only improve farmers’ earnings, but also contribute to stabilising food supply and prices by ensuring that more fresh produce reaches consumers instead of being lost after harvest.
In his remarks, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, said the market represented a critical investment in agricultural infrastructure and would complement the state government’s efforts to modernise agriculture and attract agro-industrial investments.
He revealed that the Federal Government has approved the routing of the proposed superhighway linking Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe and Borno States through the area, a development expected to improve transportation of agricultural produce and expand market opportunities for farmers.
The Governor also disclosed that work had commenced on the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park, located about 15 kilometres from the market, where a tomato processing factory is set to be established.
According to him, the combination of production centres, processing facilities and organised markets would help complete the agricultural value chain, creating jobs, reducing waste and increasing value addition within the state.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NALDA, Mr. Cornelius Adebayo, said the market was specifically conceived to address one of Nigeria’s biggest agricultural challenges, which is post-harvest losses of vegetables and other perishable crops.
He explained that the facility would provide reliable market linkages for farmers while improving access to buyers and reducing the volume of produce wasted before reaching consumers.
Mr. Adebayo disclosed that NALDA had already established irrigation and cold storage facilities in three locations across Gombe State to support year-round vegetable production and preserve harvested produce.
He noted that the market forms part of a broader strategy to create integrated agricultural ecosystems where farmers can produce, store, process and market their crops more efficiently.
The NALDA Executive Secretary further announced that Gombe State would become the second state in the North-East to benefit from the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Mega Farm Project, aimed at expanding food production and enhancing national food sufficiency.
Various speakers at the official commissioning viewed this as a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive towards food security and agricultural transformation.
The NALDA Market in Kwadon comprises 160 shops and has been provided with key infrastructure by the Gombe State Government, including perimeter fencing, a 1.3-kilometre access road, solar-powered boreholes and modern sanitation facilities to support and enhance commercial activities within the market.
