The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration has further reviewed the opening hours of markets to six hours.
This is against the earlier directive that the market would operate from 7am to 2pm.
The FCTA said the review was in line with the new guidelines on the operations of markets issued by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
It directed the Abuja Markets Management Limited to ensure compliance with the new template.
According to the new guidelines, only shops and stalls selling food and groceries would be allowed to open to customers between 10am and 2pm on alternate days or less frequently.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, said, “Markets in Abuja will now operate only three times weekly; that is on Mondays, Wednesday, and Saturdays, from 10am to 2pm.
“This means that after the close of market activities on Wednesday, April 8, the next market day will be next Saturday.
“These are part of measures being employed in addition to other social distancing measures already put in place to limit the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in the FCT.”
The FCTA said relevant security agencies had been directed to fully implement the new guidelines by monitoring all entry and exit points to the various markets as well as activities of the traders.
“FCT residents are called upon to support the efforts of government and also patronise markets within their neighbourhoods rather than going to the major markets in distant locations, in order to prevent a possible spread of the virus between communities in the FCT,” it added.
