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• Market leaders appeal to Soludo, as traders protest closure
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The announcement of the total shutdown of Onitsha Main Market for one week by Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Monday, January 26, 2026 has generated mixed reactions and actions from different stakeholders and quarters.
The governor’s action came as a result of his unscheduled physical visit to the market where traders at the bustling market failed to open for business that Monday, in defiance of repeated state government directives mandating full resumption of commercial activities every Monday.
According to the governor, the sit-at-home practice, originally linked to security concerns and separatist agitations in the South-East, has been officially abolished by the Anambra State Government as part of broader efforts to restore normalcy, boost economic activity, and improve security.
The sit-at –home orders in Nigeria’s South-East officially began on August 9, 2021, initiated by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to protest the detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Although the group later announced a suspension, the enforcement continued every Monday, paralyzing economic and social activities across the region.
At the peak of the forced sit-at-home, there were reports of killings and destruction of vehicles and goods of those who disobeyed the order and ventured out on Mondays. This elicited fear and anxiety across several communities in Igbo land but as the years went by, the non-state actors who unleashed such violence were routed and decimated leading to the return of normalcy in most communities.
In Anambra, economic activities and movement of people, goods and services picked up in Awka, the state capital. But markets in Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of the state remained closed.
Ironically, while markets remained closed, residents converted Mondays to days of engaging in social activities, sports activities, church meetings and street trading.
Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, while shedding more light on why the governor had to order the closure of Onitsha Main Market for one full week, said the state losses N8b weekly from the Monday sit-at-home out of the N19.6b which the entire South-East loses in that unfortunate situation.
He said government ordered that Onitsha Main Market will remain closed from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, January 31, 2026 while the market will reopen for business on Monday, February 2, 2026.
“Traders are further warned that if they are not ready to resume trading on Monday, February 2, 2026, and indeed every other Monday, the market will face a one-month closure next Monday,” he stated.
While some traders reacted angrily to the government directive leading to pockets of protests by some of the aggrieved traders, the market leadership said government acted in the best interest of the traders.
Chinedu Okoye, a fabric dealer inside Onitsha Main Market, lamented that his plan to send goods to his customer in Kano on Tuesday morning was truncated when they came to market that morning and discovered that security agents had cordoned off the entire market and the adjoining streets.
He said the order forcing traders to stay at home for one week has strangulated their economy and also inflicted varying degree of psychological injuries on their lives.
“It is not by force for us to trade and open our shops on Mondays. Let Goveror Soludo look for ways to secure freedom for Nnamdi Kanu and not this way he is acting now,” he said.
The Chairman of Onitsha Main Market, Hon Chijoke Okpalaugo who spoke with reporters after a meeting with line chairmen and secretaries of the market said the government action, though painful on the traders, was a wise decision to restore their economic fortune, lost as a result of the Monday sit-at-home order initiated by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He said the closure was for the good of the traders, customers and other residents of the state
He however appealed to the governor to temper justice with mercy by helping them to reopen the market within the stipulated period.
“Our governor, Chukwuma Charles Soludo is a listening and progressive minded governor. We strongly believe that, with this appeal, he will consider us and reopen the market for our good because he loves his people.
“We have lost so much fortune since the creation of Monday sit-at-home in the South-East region. We are fully in support of the governor’s action against the Monday sit-at-home order. To be honest, we were given the closure notification order on Thursday, 22nd, 2026 by the Anambra State Government, if we fail to open our shops on Monday” he stated.
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The Chairman also appealed to fellow traders in the market to remain calm, law abiding and avoid taking the law into their hands.
Also defending Governor Soludo’s action, the National Coordinator, All Progressives Grand Alliance Media Warriors Forum, Evang. Chiendu Obigwe chided those criticising the government action.
He said Governor Soludo was not selective in his enforcement of ban on the illegal Mondays sit at home order in the state, noting that circulars were sent to all relevant government institutions and markets in the state to full reopen for business on Mondays before the consequent action was taken.
“What Governor Soludo did was in defence of the long term interest of traders and the good people of the state. No government will fold its hands and watch criminal elements normalise abnormality in their state. Those raining abuses and threats against Governor Soludo for his one week closure of Onitsha Main Market are afraid of facing the reality.”
He said major stakeholders in Onitsha Main market are completely in support of Governor Soludo’s action because they know that the governor has their interest at heart.
“Saying enough is enough to the Mondays sit at home is among Soludo’s best decisions as a governor and he deserves commendation not vilification for taking that decision” Obigwe stated.
The Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA) also reacted to the development and offered some recommendations.
Its President, Chinedu Nwonu, in a statement said the Chamber recognises the constitutional responsibility of government to create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in order not to impair its projected revenue.
“However, while the Chamber supports decisive actions aimed at restoring lawful economic activity, we consider it imperative to draw urgent attention to the grave economic and social consequences of prolonged market closures as a punitive measure, particularly in a commercial city as Onitsha, whose economy depends overwhelmingly on uninterrupted daily trading.”
He listed the impact of the market closure to include significant economic losses, impact on livelihoods and households and erosion of investors’ confidence:
Nwonu said the position of the chamber is that economic recovery, security, and public order must be pursued simultaneously, not in isolation.
“While the Chamber does not support unlawful sit-at-home directives or any form of economic sabotage, it strongly maintains that business operators should not bear a disproportionate burden of enforcement through repeated market shutdowns”
“Accordingly, the Chamber urges the Anambra State Government to adopt a business-sensitive and stakeholder-inclusive strategy that restores normal Monday-to-Saturday trading, while guaranteeing the safety of traders, patrons, and residents.”
The Chamber recommended the deployment of adequate, intelligence-driven, and trader-friendly security personnel within and around markets on all business days, particularly Mondays, to provide consistent reassurance that goes beyond policy pronouncements.
“Financial institution support: Ensure that banks and financial institutions are fully protected to operate on Mondays to provide essential financial services required for seamless business activities.”
“Clear public communication and confidence building: Implementation of a coordinated public communication strategy outlining government security plans, emergency response mechanisms, and guarantees to traders, recognising that confidence-building is central to voluntary compliance.”
“Risk-sharing and compensation framework: Consider insurance-backed or risk-sharing mechanisms, in collaboration with financial institutions and relevant stakeholders, to protect traders against losses arising from security-related disruptions”.
“The Onitsha Chamber of Commerce reiterates its unwavering commitment to lawful commerce, peace, and economic resilience, and stands ready to partner with the Anambra State Government to restore confidence, protect businesses, and ensure the full return of Onitsha Main Market to normal Monday-to-Saturday operations in a safe, secure, and sustainable manner.
“The Chamber calls on the government to balance enforcement with dialogue, security with economic sensitivity, and authority with partnership in the collective interest of the people and economy of Anambra State.” Nwonu stated.
As at the time of filing this report, a meeting with market leaders in the state has been fixed for Thursday in Awka where all the issues are expected to be sorted out about reopening the Onitsha main market and subsequent business activities in all other markets on Mondays.
