Enhancing Informal Markets

The Nigerian Marketing Network and a number of UK universities arrived at a number of conclusions on how to enhance formal and informal market institutions in the continent
They are:
* Promote associations of traders and producers where they can support poor people’s access to markets, such as trader associations.
* Identify the appropriate role of the public sector in providing better market places: for example, state and local governments should stop subsidising market stalls since this does not help poor people.
* Expand access to market information on prices and standards: for example, donors and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should fund access to telephones for poor people and provide information about trusted suppliers.
* NGOs and schools should offer market-based education on measures and quality standards.
* State and local government should make decisions about market and transport intermediaries based on locally specific evidence. This should identify both the benefits of intermediaries and specific occasions where intermediaries exert excessive control over market places.
* When reorganising urban markets, local governments must take particular care not to disturb the employment niches occupied by the poorest people (such as petty retailers and porters)

photo courtesy of marco werman