Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate remodelling of the Onitsha Main Market, describing the move as a “hard but necessary” decision following the market’s one-week closure.
The directive came after the governor’s recent inspection of the market, which he said had fallen into severe disrepair. Once regarded as the largest market in West Africa, Soludo said the commercial hub had deteriorated to the point of being “literally dead.”
Speaking to traders and stakeholders at the Light House in Awka on Friday, January 30, the governor attributed the decline to decades of poor urban planning and the economic impact of the persistent Monday sit-at-home order.
“The Onitsha Main Market, in its current state, is no longer functional. We have done the study. The main market is no longer what it was designed to be. It has literally died,” Soludo said.
He recalled that in the late 1970s, the market operated efficiently, with wide roads that allowed easy movement of trucks and shoppers, as well as large parking spaces. According to him, that orderly layout has since been replaced by congestion and chaos.
“If people cannot park, they cannot shop. In the late 70s, trucks used to drive into the market; massive parking spaces were provided for them. Today, that is gone,” he said.
Soludo further noted that the Monday sit-at-home order had kept the market closed for more than 260 days over time, resulting in billions of naira in weekly losses and forcing customers to patronise markets in neighbouring states.
“Leadership requires taking inconvenient steps to secure the future. The closure of the market is a corrective measure to reclaim the state’s economic life,” he added.
The governor disclosed that the state government commissioned world-renowned experts in 2023 to develop a comprehensive redevelopment plan for the 25-hectare market, stressing that modern commerce depends on efficient logistics rather than congested stalls.
According to him, the remodelling aligns with his administration’s manifesto to build planned and sustainable markets, communities and cities.
Reacting to the directive, Chairman of the Onitsha Main Market, Chijioke Okpalaugo, said traders supported the government’s vision but appealed for time to relocate their goods.
“After careful consideration of the proposals presented by the state government for the revitalisation of our market, we, the leadership and traders of Onitsha Main Market, officially announce that we have chosen ‘Option 2’ as the preferred path forward,” he said.
He added that traders accepted the difficult decision in the interest of the state and the long-term survival of the market but requested a short grace period to evacuate their wares from areas marked as illegal structures before enforcement and demolition begin.
Earlier, Governor Soludo had ordered the one-week closure of the market after traders failed to comply with the state’s directive to disregard the Monday sit-at-home order. He warned that the shutdown could be extended if non-compliance continues, adding that security agencies had sealed the market as part of efforts to revive economic activity in the South-East.
