Nigeria: Soludo warn traders on Monday sit-at-home

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria

Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has warned traders in Onitsha to end the Monday sit-at-home tradition, threatening to shut down the Onitsha Main Market for a month if they fail to comply. The governor’s warning comes after months of appeals to traders to open their businesses on Mondays, which has been largely ignored.

Soludo argues that the sit-at-home order, initially linked to the detention of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has become a tool for economic sabotage, with non-indigenes enforcing the closure. He notes that markets in other South-East states are now open on Mondays, and Anambra risks losing its reputation as a major commercial hub.

The governor has assured traders of security, with over 150 security officials stationed at the Onitsha Main Market. He has also promised to modernize the market and build a new trading hub.

Traders have agreed to comply with the governor’s directive, citing the need for security and infrastructure improvements. The move is seen as a bid to revive Anambra’s economy, which has suffered from the prolonged closures.