MARKETS

Public markets in Edo State serve as vital economic engines and social hubs, yet their functional sustainability is increasingly compromised by the systematic failure of auxiliary infrastructure. This study investigates the "Relevance of Toilet Facilities on the Performance of Urban Market in Edo State: An Architectural Evaluation." The research addresses the problem of existing sanitation facilities failing to meet architectural design and accessibility standards, which leads to structural deterioration, environmental hazards, and reduced public confidence. The primary aim is to evaluate the design adequacy, spatial integration, and inclusivity of these facilities and to determine their direct impact on market performance indicators such as user satisfaction and spatial efficiency. The study adopts a qualitative research approach based on architectural observation, field documentation, and semi-structured interviews with market users and management officials. Direct assessment of toilet facilities was carried out to evaluate accessibility, spatial location, ventilation, water supply, material conditions, and maintenance
practices. Photographic documentation and field notes were used to support physical and spatial analysis of sanitation facilities within New Benin, Uselu, and Jattu markets. The research argues that architectural deficiencies, including poor natural ventilation and non-durable materiality, trigger user avoidance behavior, thereby reducing "dwell time" and overall market productivity. The study concludes that well-designed, inclusive sanitation infrastructure acts as a performance multiplier for urban markets. The findings contribute to sustainable urban design by proposing a context-specific architectural template for market sanitation, providing an evidence-based roadmap for town planners, architects, and policymakers to enhance the hygiene, dignity, and economic viability of public markets in Edo State.

Garri is a commonly consumed cassava product in Nigeria. Poorly processed/stored garri could pose serious health risk to consumers. This study seek to investigate the microbial evaluation of garri sold in open markets Benin City. Five garri samples were purchased from eight open markets which are; Egor market, Oba market, Ekiosa market, Oluku market and Adolor market, Ikpoba-Hill market, and Aduwawa market, all in Edo State making a total of 40 samples. 500 mg each for the sample and appropriately labeled. The samples were transported to the Environmental Management and Toxicology Department laboratory, for microbial, pH and moisture content analysis. Different media such as Potato Dextrose agar (PDA), Nutrient Agar (NA) were prepared separately. 1g of each sample (garri) was weighing on a weighing balance, dissolved properly in 10m1 of pepton water which was used to prepare ten folds serial dilution. Using pour plate method. The total number of bacteria, yeast and moulds in the garri samples was determined. The total number of colony forming unit (CFU/g) was calculated, the moisture content and pH of the garri samples were also calculated. Data obtained were analyzed in percentage and mean. Total Heterotrophic bacteria count in garri samples (cfu/g x103) indicated that Egor and Adolor markets had the highest heterotrophic bacteria count of (9.25 x103) respectively while Ikpoba Hill market had the lowest count of (1.00 x103). The highest fungal count was recorded in Ekiosa market (1.75) and the lowest was in New Benin market (0.50). The bacteria identified are; Micrococcus sp., Escherichia coli,: Klebsiella sp.,Lactobacillus sp Enterobacter sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus sp., Pseudomonas sp,, Streptococcus sp., Shigella sp., Bacillus sp. the fungi identified are Rhizomucor sp., Aspergillus sp., Trichophyton sp., Geotrichum sp., Mudurella sp and Candida sp. The highest moisture content was noticed in Aduwawa market 16.80% sample C and last was in Oluku market 8.70% sample B. The highest pH was noticed in Oluku sample C (6.76) and the lowest pH was in Egor market sample A (4.11). There is therefore a need to maintain proper sanitary conditions so as to avoid health risks. The moisture content of garri samples analyzed is low and within standard specification, this could have accounted for keeping the microbial load of garri low.