Design of a Portable Street Food Cart for Hygienic and Organised Food Vending in Abuja

Street food vending is an essential component of Abuja's informal food economy, providing affordable meals to hundreds of thousands of workers, students, and residents daily. However, the majority of street food operations are conducted using makeshift structures that fail to meet basic food hygiene standards, lack fire safety provisions, and contribute to pavement obstruction and aesthetic degradation of the city's planned urban environment. This project develops a portable, standardised street food cart designed for hygienic food preparation and service in compliance with FCT-Abuja Environmental Protection Board standards. A field survey of sixty-eight street food vendors across Wuse, Garki, and Maitama districts documented their operational needs, food types served, daily mobility patterns, and income levels. The cart design incorporates a stainless steel food preparation surface, a lockable storage compartment, a waste collection drawer, a solar-powered LED canopy light, and a foldable customer service counter. Structural materials include mild steel framing and powder-coated panels for weather resistance. Three prototypes were assessed by vendors and Abuja Environmental Protection Board officers for compliance, usability, and mobility. User testing over two weeks confirmed ease of setup, hygiene compliance, and enhanced customer confidence. The project recommends a subsidised cart supply programme administered through the FCT Ministry of Trade and Commerce in partnership with street vendor associations. Keywords: street food cart, food hygiene, urban vending, Abuja, product design.