Shs41Bn Elegu Market Project Empowers Women and Pwds

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Shs41Bn Elegu Market Project Empowers Women and Pwds
Shs41Bn Elegu Market Project Empowers Women and Pwds

Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda has inched closer to addressing long-standing infrastructure, sanitation, and cyclical climate vulnerabilities that have plagued traders in Elegu town, a key commercial zone in Northern Uganda, following the ground-breaking for the construction of a €9.9M (shs41B) climate resilient and gender-responsive market.

The action, jointly funded by the European Union and Denmark, under the Global Gateway strategy, a Team Europe initiative, and implemented by TradeMark Africa in close partnership with the Government of Uganda, is expected to directly benefit over 5,000 households that depend on cross-border trade.

Elegu is a strategic trade gateway and Uganda’s third-largest informal export corridor. In 2022, over 1.3 million MT of goods valued at €189M (shs786B) was traded at this market that borders South Sudan.

However, Elegu’s vulnerability to flooding, especially during the two annual rainy seasons, has led to business closures, loss of stock and income, and repeated public health crises due to poor sanitation.

In addition, women, who make up 63% of informal cross-border traders at Elegu, along with persons with disabilities (PWDs), have borne the brunt due to caregiving responsibilities, physical accessibility limitations, and lack of safe infrastructure.

“This project is a symbol of resilience, inclusion, and transformation. This partnership with European Union and the Embassy of Denmark, under Global Gateway, and TradeMark Africa, demonstrates what can be achieved when development is both collaborative and visionary. Uganda is proud to lead the way with a border market that meets the realities of climate change while supporting our national and regional trade goals,” said first deputy Prime Minister, Rebecca Kadaga.

The new market will be elevated above flood levels, and incorporate climate-resilient infrastructure including reinforced drainage, permeable paving, stormwater retention basins, and green energy solutions like solar power and water harvesting.

Facilities will include 1,500 market vendor sheds, a restaurant, daycare centre, modern sanitation blocks, an on-site banking facility with affordable credit, and a grain handling and post-harvest storage facility.

The project will also improve transport logistics through the construction of a 450m access road connecting the market to the Gulu–Atiak–Nimule highway, and clearly demarcated loading bays and vehicle parking zones, streamlining the movement of goods and reducing post-harvest losses. These changes target increased participation by women and PWDs by 30%, and longer trading hours by women, boosting their income by an estimated 15–25%.

LC V at Amuru District, Micheal Lakony, expressed appreciation for the project.

“For years, our traders have suffered the consequences of inadequate infrastructure, with markets washed away by floods and children falling sick due to poor sanitation. Today’s groundbreaking is a commitment to change. It is a promise that no trader, especially our women and youth, will have to choose between safety and survival,”he said.

Sanne Willems, the EU Delegation to Uganda, Head of Green Transition and Private Sector said the initiative is part of the broader Global Gateway strategy

“This initiative is part of our y, and it shows how climate adaptation, gender inclusion, and trade development can go hand in hand. We are proud to support Uganda in creating a border economy that is strong, fair, and climate-proof,” Willems said.

The Ambassador of Denmark to Uganda, Signe Winding Albjerg said the market is designed to promote inclusive and climate-resilient infrastructure for cross border traders.

“We hope it will turn into an inspiration for others in the region. By putting climate resilience and those who are often left behind, like women, youth and persons with disabilities at the forefront, the project reflects Denmark’s commitment to green and inclusive growth and employment in Uganda.”

Allen Asiimwe, the Deputy CEO at TradeMark Africa, said the market is an investment that embodies our core mission which is to increase sustainable and inclusive intra-African trade and exports to the rest of the world.

“We are not only building physical infrastructure but enabling economic opportunity and dignity for thousands of informal traders, particularly women and vulnerable groups.”

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