A worsening sewage problem at Banjul’s Albert Market is not only choking off business but also exposing deeper failures in city governance, vendors and health officials say.
The stench from overflowing and poorly maintained toilets has lingered for months, turning away customers and raising public health concerns, yet no meaningful action has been taken.
“This condition has brought a significant setback to our business,” said Abubacarr Karaga, who has been selling at the market for years. “We reported it to the market master, Mustapha John, but nothing has changed.”
Health authorities have reportedly urged that the market’s toilet facilities believed to be the main source of the foul odor be shut down. Those calls, traders say, have been ignored, with the toilets still open despite the risks.
The crisis comes at a time when the Banjul City Council is in turmoil. Many senior officials, including Public Relations Officer Fatou Mbenga, have been suspended pending the findings of a commission of inquiry into local government authorities. That leadership vacuum, vendors argue, has left no one clearly responsible for addressing the problem.
“Everyone is pointing fingers, but no one is fixing the issue,” one trader told JollofNews. “We’re left to work in filth while the city council is busy dealing with politics.”
The Albert Market, one of the capital’s busiest commercial hubs, is a vital source of income for hundreds of small-scale traders. But with customers increasingly avoiding the area, vendors fear the situation could spiral into an economic blow for families who depend on daily sales.
Attempts by JollofNews to get comment from the council were unsuccessful. In the meantime, traders say they are bracing for further losses as the smell worsens and sanitation deteriorates.
“This is not just about our sales,” Karaga added. “It’s about health, dignity, and whether the authorities care about the people they serve.”
