Editorial: The Abandoned Ogbe-Ijoh Market: A Ghost of Promise in the Heart of Delta

Editorial

It is disheartening over selective treatments of tribes by successive administrations in Delta State. The sad story of the abandoned Ogbe-Ijoh market is unthinkable and perplexing. This is a story not just of bricks and mortar, but of hope, neglect, and the resilient cry of a forgotten people.
The Ogbe-Ijoh Market was once a symbol of economic revival in Warri South-West and Warri South Local Government Areas of Delta State, now an empty shell echoing with the footsteps of silence.

The Birth of a Vision

The Ogbe-Ijoh Market was conceived as a commercial hub to stimulate local trade, empower indigenous women, and reduce economic dependence on distant markets.
With millions of naira pumped into its construction, the market stood tall and proud – rows of lock-up stalls, wide walkways, storage units and a beacon of promise.

A Community’s Hope

To the people of Ogbe-Ijoh and its neighboring communities, this market meant more than just business.
It was a dream of self-sufficiency, an end to the long travels to other Markets, and a chance for local fishers, farmers, and traders to thrive in their own land.

The Abandonment Begins

But shortly after commissioning, the market was left unused.
Why?
Political tussles, community disputes, lack of access roads, and zero post construction support.
Despite being completed, it never saw the bustle of buyers and sellers. Slowly, time and neglect took over. The market was further reduced to rubble by frequent fire outbreaks and perpetual government neglect.

A Call to Action

Ogbe-Ijoh Market must not remain a forgotten structure.
It must be revived as a living center of trade and empowerment.
The government must rise beyond ribbon cutting ceremonies to sustained economic impact.

Development is not about building structures; it is about changing lives.

Let Ogbe-Ijoh Market live again not as a ghost of promise, but as a testimony to responsive governance.

Editorial -Congress newspaper