By Ade Oyeyemi
Traders at the popular Gbagi Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, have appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene in a stalled shop reconstruction project after allegedly paying N2m each for replacement shops.
The traders staged a protest on Monday, expressing frustration over the delay in completing the structures following the demolition of their former shops.
Armed with placards, the market women called on the state government to ensure that the contractor returned to the site and completed the work to enable them to resume their businesses.
The redevelopment exercise began in 2025 as part of the Oyo State Government’s plans for the market. However, the project has reportedly generated discontent among traders over the demolition of existing shops, their displacement and the amount demanded for replacement structures.
An 86-year-old trader, Adegoke Funke, said she had paid the required N2m and urged the contractor to complete her shop.
“He should come and complete our shop. We have given him all the N2m,” she said.
Another trader, Oladapo Eunice, said the demolition of the shops on January 3 had left many traders struggling to maintain their livelihoods.
She explained that some affected traders borrowed money to meet the payment requirement, while others had experienced health challenges during the period of uncertainty.
Eunice alleged that despite most of the traders paying the agreed amount, they were recently told that the money covered only the work already completed.
She also complained that the replacement shops were smaller than their previous ones, adding that the traders had accepted the new arrangement because they believed it was being implemented on behalf of the government.
A trader, Mrs Balogun Abibat, said the payment requirement had changed several times before the traders eventually settled on N2m per shop.
According to her, the initial agreement was for N1.6m, but the amount was later raised to between N5m and N7m. She said the traders subsequently approached the state secretariat, where the payment was reportedly reduced to N2m.
Balogun said the traders complied with the revised amount but were disappointed when construction allegedly stopped before the shops were completed.
She added that the delay had left them exposed to the sun and rain, while some traders had struggled to keep their businesses running.
Balogun urged Makinde to intervene and ensure that the contractor fulfilled the agreement.
Similarly, Mrs Olawunmi Ogunyinka said the traders were initially asked to pay N1.6m each before their shops were demolished, but the amount was later increased to N5m.
She said the dispute was taken to the state secretariat, where the payment was reportedly reduced to N2m in February following the governor’s intervention.
Ogunyinka questioned the amount charged for the replacement shops, arguing that traders could have built structures of similar sizes themselves at a much lower cost.
The protesters appealed to the state government to address their complaints, complete the reconstruction and allow them to return to their businesses.
When contacted, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives was responsible for the project.
He promised to provide further clarification but had yet to respond as of the time of filing the report.
