NIGERIA: Lagos Meets Computer Village Traders Over Planned Relocation to Katangowa

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

The Lagos State Government has opened discussions with traders at Computer Village, Ikeja, on the planned relocation of the popular market to the newly developed ICT and Business Park in Katangowa, Agbado-Oke Odo.

At a stakeholder meeting held on Monday, the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Urban Development, Gbolahan Oki, said the engagement was at the directive of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is committed to transparency and inclusivity in the process.

Oki said: “For the first time in 15 years, the government is meeting you here in your market on this issue. It shows the governor’s commitment to openness and stakeholder engagement.”

He explained that the Katangowa ICT and Business Park was equipped with modern infrastructure, including hotels, banking halls, car parks, recreation centres, a fire station, a police post, and well-structured access roads. According to him, the relocation would ease congestion in Ikeja and provide traders with a more conducive business environment.

The move is part of Sanwo-Olu’s broader urban renewal and decentralisation policy aimed at decongesting Lagos’ commercial hubs, restoring sanity to residential areas, and ensuring sustainable urban development.

Oki urged traders to stop trading on roads and drainage setbacks while embracing the government’s urban renewal initiative.

Chief (Mrs.) Abisola Azeez, Iyaloja of Computer Village, welcomed the development, describing the new site as an opportunity to expand business potential.

She said: “The Katangowa site will create a more conducive environment for both traders and customers.”

Also present at the meeting were the General Manager, Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, Oladimeji Animashaun; Coordinating Director, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Builder Florence Gbaye; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Urban Development, Segun Williams; and executives of the Computer Village market association.

Over the years, Computer Village has evolved into a major technology and business hub, attracting traders, technicians, and customers from across Nigeria and West Africa. However, its rapid growth has created challenges, including traffic congestion, illegal street trading, poor sanitation, and overstretched infrastructure in Ikeja, originally designed as a residential district.

Urban planners and government officials have long called for its relocation to ease these challenges, a move that now appears to be gathering momentum under the Sanwo-Olu administration.