Shop owners at the Nungua Market have rejected plans to demolish their businesses as part of efforts to redevelop the area into a proposed 24-hour market.
The Nungua Market Shop Owners Association, which represents about 250 members, says the demolition would put the investments and livelihoods of hundreds of traders at risk.
According to the association, many of the shops were acquired and developed through private investments, with individuals purchasing land and spending their own money to construct the facilities.
The traders are therefore calling on the authorities to consider renovating the existing market instead of demolishing it.
Lina Owusu, a member of the association, said the shops should be protected because they do not belong to the government but were established through private investments.
She argued that demolishing the structures would result in significant financial losses for the owners who had invested in them.
Another member, Daavi Adwo, the Financial Secretary of the Nungua Market Shop Owners Association, said the proposed demolition could also leave many traders struggling to repay loans taken to finance their businesses.
She appealed to the authorities to renovate the market rather than shut down businesses that provide the traders with their main source of income.
The association has raised eight major concerns about the proposed redevelopment.
The first is the financial investment made by shop owners. The group says some members purchased their shops while others contributed directly to the construction of the market. A demolition, it argues, would wipe out years of investment.
The traders are also worried about the proposed construction period, which they say could last for two years or more. Such a long interruption, they contend, would cut off their main source of income.
The association noted that a significant number of its members are women, including single mothers and other breadwinners responsible for supporting children and dependants.
Existing loans and financial commitments are another major concern. The shop owners say many traders borrowed money to establish or expand their businesses and could struggle to meet their repayment obligations if they are forced to stop trading for an extended period.
The traders are also concerned about the cost of finding temporary shops and storage facilities during construction. They argue that alternative spaces would create additional expenses at a time when their incomes would already have been disrupted.
A lack of a clear relocation arrangement has further fuelled the opposition.
The association says discussions so far appear to focus mainly on tabletop traders, without providing a specific and secure relocation plan for existing shop owners who operate established businesses.
The traders also dispute the suggestion that the existing market has deteriorated to the point where complete demolition is necessary.
They maintain that the market remains functional and could instead be improved through renovation and rehabilitation.
Another issue raised is the payment of annual ground rent. The association says shop owners have continued paying the fees since the Nungua traditional authorities took over market management in 2021, despite what they describe as limited maintenance over the years.
The group therefore believes shop owners should not be forced to bear the consequences of what they consider inadequate maintenance.
At a stakeholder engagement held on September 1, 2026, the Municipal Chief Executive of the Krowor Municipal Assembly, Ing. Paul Afotey Quaye, said the assembly had heard the market women’s concerns.
He said the assembly had already engaged relevant stakeholders, including the traditional authorities, and was working towards finding a solution to the concerns surrounding the redevelopment.
The engagement forms part of ongoing consultations on the proposed transformation of the Nungua Market into a 24-hour facility.
While the shop owners acknowledge the potential economic benefits of a modern 24-hour market, they insist that development should not come at the expense of existing businesses and livelihoods.
The Nungua Market Shop Owners Association is therefore calling for the demolition plans to be reconsidered and for the existing market to be renovated instead.
The traders want any redevelopment plan to protect their investments, provide a clear relocation arrangement where necessary and ensure that hundreds of families dependent on the market are not left without a source of income.
