Group raises concern over displacement of traditional markets in Lagos

The DeRenaissance Patriots Foundation on Sunday expressed concern over ongoing market redevelopment projects across Lagos State, warning that they could displace traditional traders and erode the city’s mercantile heritage.

The group called for a more inclusive approach to urban development, highlighting historic markets such as OjaEreko, OkeArin, Ebute-Ero, Ita-Balogun, Jankara, Pelewura and Sandgrouse as long-standing centres of commerce and culture.

In a statement titled “Lagos Markets: Between Heritage and Modernity”, obtained by The Guardian, the foundation traced the commercial roots of Lagos to early barter systems that predated structured currency. It noted that trade evolved organically in open squares where fishermen, farmers and merchants exchanged goods, forming the base of the city’s commercial growth.

“Lagos did not begin with glass towers and gated plazas. It began in open squares. From that humble beginning emerged a vibrant mercantile civilization,” the statement read.

It described traditional markets as not only centres of trade but also hubs of culture, where traditions were preserved and entrepreneurship nurtured. According to the group, many prominent Lagos families emerged from modest trading backgrounds, with market activities enabling them to educate their children into professions such as law, medicine, engineering, banking and public service.

The foundation, however, argued that what is being witnessed across the five regions of Lagos is not merely modernisation but displacement.

It stated that open markets serving indigenes and residents for generations were being demolished and replaced with multi-storey complexes that charge rents and service fees beyond the reach of traditional traders.

According to the group, some of the newly built structures remain partially unoccupied due to high costs, while displaced traders resort to informal street trading in adjoining areas to survive.

The statement maintained that markets are social and economic ecosystems that depend on affordability and accessibility, warning that redevelopment efforts that exclude primary users risk undermining the city’s economic structure.

The foundation urged authorities to adopt phased redevelopment plans that guarantee the return of traders at affordable rates, incorporate open-air sections for low-capital merchants and ensure adequate consultation before demolition exercises.

It added that Lagos’ prosperity was built on grassroots commerce and called for development strategies that balance modernisation with preservation of the city’s trading heritage. (Guardian)