Kazeem Ugbodaga

Over 1,000 traders at the popular Alade Market, Ikeja area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria have been given 60 days to vacate the market to pave way for its redevelopment into a mega shopping mall.

A 16-man committee has been inaugurated by the Ikeja Local Government to facilitate the movement of the traders within the time frame.

The council, Concessionaire of the market and the association of Market Women and Men have all agreed to abide by the new date.

Adekunle Adeokun, Executive Secretary of Ikeja Local Government presided over a stakeholders’ meeting held at the council’s head office, Ikeja where all parties agreed to relocate from the market before or on 7 October.

He said, however, that few concerned traders “are still resisting our plan to redevelop Alade Market to the true status of Africa’s model megacity despite all we have put in place to ensure their successful relocation.”

According to him, the council has already directed all owners of shops and concerned traders “to quit within a period of two months. The concerned traders are not owners of shops in the market. They simply rent shops from the shop owners. So, they cannot stop us from redeveloping the Alade Market.

“We have waited for five years. We agreed to build 200 more shops to accommodate all legal traders in the alternative market. We plan to reconstruct two roads to avoid traffic congestion in the area within the timeframe. We have agreed to build a bridge that enable customer and traders to enter and exit the market from Oregun road.”

Managing Director, Master Reality International Concepts Limited, the concessionaire, Lai Omotola said the government “has given 60-day extension for the relocation of the market and all the traders. The deadline will elapse on October 7 and all the traders, except few concerned ones, have agreed to the relocation plan.”

He stated that the Iyaloja-General of the Association of Market Women and Men, Mrs. Shade Tinubu-Ojo had held a meeting with the market people and the concessionaire on Thursday, noting that they all agreed unanimously.

“The Iyaloja-general pleaded with the concessionaire to make the alternative market habitable and comfortable for all the traders. A 16-man committee headed by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Prince Oluranti Olufon had been put in place. The committee comprises six members from the market, five from the council and five from the concessionaire,” he said