FCT Residents Oppose Proposed 'Temporary Market' Over Insecurity Concerns in Karsana
Federal Captial Development Authority.
Residents across four major residential estates in the Karsana District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed significant concern following the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) approval of a "temporary informal market" in close proximity to their perimeter fences. The affected communities Mabglobal Estate, Ipent 7, Efab Metropolitan, and Efab Queens contend that the move undermines previous urban renewal efforts and poses a direct threat to the security of the area.
The dispute intensified last week when operatives associated with a private firm, Fasaha and Sons Global Services Nigeria Limited, began demarcating stalls along the new road corridor leading from Dawaki to the Renewed Hope Housing Estate. The intervention of estate security led to the presentation of an authorisation letter (Ref No. AMMC/ADM/UA/1455), dated 20 August 2025. The document, purportedly signed by Abubakar A. Makama, Acting Director of the Department of Urban Affairs under the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), grants the firm permission to manage an "informal market" at the site.
Conflicting Regulatory Actions
The residents’ alarm stems from a perceived reversal in FCTA policy. In 2024 and early 2025, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), under the former Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, had systematically dismantled illegal markets and shanties in the same corridor. Those enforcement actions were driven by reports of knife attacks, kidnappings, and illicit drug activity linked to unregulated settlements.
Community leaders noted that a 2023 meeting with the FCDA had concluded that relocating displaced traders to the perimeter of these estates was "premature and fraught with imminent danger." Despite this consensus, the recently surfaced approval suggests the authority is now facilitating the return of an "Iron Condemn" market a term typically used for scrap metal trading hubs to the residential zone.
Community Demands and Security Risks
The Mabglobal Estate Association, representing approximately 634 households, has formally petitioned the Urban Affairs department to rescind the approval. In a joint statement, Association President Frederick Okonkwo and Secretary General Chibuzor Ogbonnaya described the endorsement as a transfer of "shanty markets" from Gwarimpa to a sensitive residential area.
The residents highlighted several critical concerns:
Proximity to Infrastructure: The market sits directly on a road and green area designated for the new housing projects currently under construction by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Criminality Hubs: History in the district shows that informal markets often evolve into unregulated shanties that harbour criminal elements.
Administrative Inconsistency: The AMMC letter claimed the developer was "already on ground," a justification residents dispute given that previous illegal structures at the site were lawfully demolished.
The situation in Karsana highlights a growing tension between the management of informal economic activities and the preservation of security in planned residential districts. For investors and policymakers, this case underscores the importance of consistent zoning enforcement in the FCT. The residents have appealed to the leadership of the FCDA to intervene and halt the development to maintain the "peace and tranquility" established by prior enforcement cycles. As the FCT Minister continues to prioritise the "Renewed Hope" housing initiative, the resolution of this land-use conflict will be pivotal for maintaining property values and safety in the Gwarimpa Karsana axis.
