The Edo State Government has engaged a team of experts in construction and remediation works for the reconstruction of the popular Oba Market, in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, to a remodeled, green, and energy-efficient modern market for the socio-economic benefits of the Edo people.

 

The team comprises multi-disciplinary experts including civil engineers, structural engineers, soil engineers, geo-physicists, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and architects.

Recall that Oba Market was gutted by fire in 2020, which destroyed sections of the market and caused structural defects that rendered the affected sections unusable for years.

The experts engaged in reconstructing the market include Prof. Jacob Ehiorobo, Dr. Ebuka Nwankwo, Dr. Okiemute Roland Ogirigbo and Engr. Samuel Adegbemileke.

The team, led by Prof. Jacob Ehiorobo has phased the planned work into three sections, which include testing the building for structural integrity, redesigning the building, and constructing a modern market befitting of its stature.

The team recounts that the first phase of the project is to carry out a structural integrity assessment. The field structural assessment aims to find out the residual capacity of the structure.

Ehiorobo’s team stated that the second phase is the retrofitting design phase, to make the structure regain its lost strength. This phase involves desktop study, analyzing the data, and correlating it, and it requires a lot of computer modeling and analysis.

The team of professionals further explained that the third phase is the construction itself, including monitoring, evaluation, and quality control, in compliance with Good International and Industry Practice (GIIP).

Narrating the step-by-step approach to the project, a member of the team, Okiemute said, “A remodeled market is going to be the end product. That is what we are going to do. At the end of the day, we are also going to have a green market. This is because there was a park we saw that was supposed to be an open area for relaxation and efficient airflow in the structure.
“From reports gathered, the fire occurred about three years ago. The market has been exposed to weather elements such as rain. These have affected the core structure of the market. The structure of the market is made up of pillars, let me use that word. We are going to assess the damage and ensure that necessary steps are taken to rebuild the market for the use of the general public.”

Another member of the team, Ebuka said: “Don’t forget that this is a public building. Care has to be taken. When we went there, our tests showed that the structure was significantly deteriorating. What we are going to do is not plastering.

“The fire weakened the concrete and steel. The strength has reduced. Over the years, the maintenance of the building has not been too excellent.

“We will be submitting our reports soon and recommend what should be done.

Prof. Ehiorobo stated that the second phase would be to do a retro-fitting design, which will require a lot of computer modeling and analysis, adding “So we are going to be having a re-modeled and brand new market, and from the experience we have, it is probably going to be stronger because the life-span is going to be extended.

“When we design buildings, we design for 50 years, but when we do what we are going to do now, probably we will have another 15 years. Which I think is a good thing.”

Samuel further explained: “We intend to produce efficient electrical layouts and plumbing layouts for the market, to prevent the occurrence of fire outbreaks. When we went there, we found out that cables were just flying everywhere, even from generators. We are going to provide an efficient power and plumbing system to prevent some further decay of the structure.

“There is currently no proper way of managing refuse / solid waste in the market. You just see that they just keep them anywhere they like and one of the things that we are going to do is to do a design for that. Waste can also be managed. That is another key area that needs to be incorporated into the new design in the market.”