The famous Kantamanto Market in Accra, one of the foremost stock houses for used clothing, has bounced back to almost full operation after a fire ravaged the trading hub on January 3, this year.
Similarly, trading life is gradually returning to normal at the Techiman Market in the Bono East Region.
The vibrant trading life at these markets typifies the industry of Ghanaian traders.
At the start of the year, fire swept through the Kantamanto Market, wiping out the decades-old trading centre and reducing everything – from wares to stores – to ashes.
The fire, which caused extensive damage, left many traders counting their losses, as goods worth thousands of cedis were destroyed, dealing a heavy blow to those who depended on the market for their survival.
For many, the disaster meant starting life all over again, relying on personal savings, loans or external support to rebuild their businesses.
More disasters
It ushered in one of the worst starts to a New Year for many traders, with one person reported to have died and over a dozen others injured in the process.
That was followed by similar incidents at the Kwadaso Wood Market in Kumasi and the Techiman Market.
Reconstruction efforts
That notwithstanding, the traders are gradually returning to business as reconstruction efforts continue.
A visit to the market revealed a scene of resilience and determination, with masons, carpenters and other workers busily restoring structures while traders set up their stalls amid brisk sales.
Though the reconstruction is far from complete, the need to restore livelihoods has pushed many traders to stage an emotional comeback.
They wasted no time to display their goods and attract customers in a frantic bid to make ends meet.
Known for its usual hustle and bustle, the downtown market is, however, less crowded than usual, perhaps because some traders and customers are unaware that business has resumed.
Current situation
A visit by the Daily Graphic last Thursday revealed a high level of improvisation. Traders had built makeshift stalls with wooden structures, tables and even mats to display their goods.
The urgency to recover financially was apparent, with many calling out to passersby in the hope of making some sales.
“We can’t afford to sit and wait for everything to be perfect before we start selling. This is our only source of income and we have to keep going,” one trader told the Daily Graphic.
Massive support
The efforts of the traders were greatly boosted by the various donations from the government, institutions and some well-meaning Ghanaians after the disaster.
On behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, recently donated GH¢1m to the Kantamanso traders, while the former Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, donated GH¢200,000 and 250 packets of roofing sheets towards the reconstruction of the market.
Similarly, Absa Bank donated GH¢150,000; GCB Bank offered a GH¢3m loan package for the fire victims, in addition to some insurance packages to secure their businesses.
The list of individual donors is endless as a countless number of sympathetic Ghanaians, home and abroad, responded spontaneously in a frantic bid to give the affected businesses a new lease of life.
Techiman Central Market
In a related development, hundreds of traders who lost their shops and other investments to fire at the Techiman Central Market have resumed their trading activities after the devastating fire incident.
The traders, who had their lifetime investment burnt to ashes on the night of Sunday, January 13, 2025, had managed to rebuild and stock their shops with goods, ready for business.
The victims, who are yet to fully recover from the incident which affected about 700 shops, told the Daily Graphic that they rebuilt the shops by themselves.
Savings and loans
While some said they used their little savings, others said they resorted to loans from banks and individuals to revamp their businesses.
Without delay, the affected traders quickly mobilised themselves to refix their containers and resume trading.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Market, Zulkanain Mohammed, told the Daily Graphic that a Social Media commentator, Kevin Ekow Baidoo Taylor, donated GH¢100,000 for the affected traders to purchase roofing sheets.
He said the amount was shared according to the number of roofing sheets each trader would require to re-roof their shops.
Mr Mohammed said aside from the cash donation, he also presented some bulbs to be fixed in the area to enhance visibility at night, explaining that they were waiting for the assembly to fix them.
He said they were yet to receive support from the government, adding that some individuals had also promised to support them.
He said though Mr Baidoo Taylor supported them, it was woefully inadequate, considering the magnitude of investment they lost to the fire.
Victims
A victim, Mma Alimatu Moro, told the Daily Graphic that the fire incident had ruined her business and affected her plans and ambitions.
He said the affected traders received between GH¢200 and GH¢1,000 from the donations, depending on the quantity of goods destroyed.
Another trader, Mardiya Kamal, said though she was working hard to revive her shop, things were very tough.
When the Daily Graphic visited the market last Monday morning, the traders had already set up their goods, ready to serve customers.
Cause of fire
A few days after the incident, a source at the Bono East Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) told the Daily Graphic that the cause of the fire had not been ascertained yet because the traders could not wait for them to conduct their investigations.
It said the day after the incident when the investigation team arrived at the scene, the traders had already cleared the entire place and started rebuilding their shops.
It said such actions had distorted potential evidence that could have led to the identification of the cause of the fire.
Recall
It will be recalled that wildfire ravaged part of the Market, one of the biggest markets in the West African sub-region, destroying many properties.
The inferno swept through the middle part of the market and destroyed about 700 shops containing goods worth millions of cedis.
Foodstuffs, grains, spices and traditional herbal medicine traders were the most affected.
Other items destroyed were sacks, second-hand clothes and boxes of chemicals.
Combined GNFS team
It took the combined team of GNFS from the Bono and Bono East regions several hours to contain the fire.
The Bono East Regional Commander of the GNFS, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Grade II, Naomi Ofori Adubea, said the command had to call additional fire tenders from Kintampo, Nkoranza and Wenchi to support GNFS personnel in Techiman to contain the fire.
She expressed concern about the congested nature of the market, as well as the limited number of fire tenders in the region, which delayed the fire personnel in stopping the fire from spreading.
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