The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has inaugurated a 160-shop integrated vegetable market in Kwadon community, Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State. The market, established to reduce post-harvest losses and streamline trade between farmers and consumers, was commissioned on Wednesday. It forms part of efforts to strengthen the agricultural value chain under the federal government's Renewed Hope Agenda. Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman of the APC, spoke at the event, stating that President Bola Tinubu's administration is investing in rural agriculture to boost food security and national prosperity.
Cornelius Adebayo, NALDA's Executive Secretary/CEO, said the market provides a direct linkage between vegetable producers and buyers. He added that irrigation infrastructure and cold storage facilities have been completed in the state to support farmers. Adebayo confirmed that land has been prepared for immediate cultivation this cropping season to supply the market. He also announced that the Renewed Hope Mega Farm project will soon launch in Gombe, following the governor's commitment to allocate farmland.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya attributed the project's completion to collaboration between federal, state, and local authorities. He noted that the market's proximity to an upcoming tomato processing factory in the industrial park would strengthen the agricultural value chain. The state government funded perimeter fencing, a 1.3-kilometre access road, solar-powered boreholes, and streetlights at the site. The market is designed to serve as a one-stop hub for perishable goods, improving access and reducing spoilage for local farmers.
Nentawe Yilwatda praised federal investment in rural agriculture while representing a political party whose national leadership includes figures previously critical of the administration's economic policies. The same Renewed Hope Agenda now credited for the Gombe market was once dismissed by party allies as lacking direction. Adebayo credited Governor Yahaya's land allocation for enabling immediate farming, yet the project's success hinges on sustained coordination between state and federal actors with differing political priorities. The market's long-term operation will test whether collaboration outlasts inauguration speeches.
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