Inside Lagos markets

Non-stop movements, rush by market boys who sweet-talk ‘newcomers’ of where to shop, and the cacophony of sounds by traders, capture the bustling daily routine and survival inside popular markets in Lagos. The markets, known for their uniqueness and features of the kinds of products or goods available for sale, determine the kind of patronage, […]

Non-stop movements, rush by market boys who sweet-talk ‘newcomers’ of where to shop, and the cacophony of sounds by traders, capture the bustling daily routine and survival inside popular markets in Lagos.

The markets, known for their uniqueness and features of the kinds of products or goods available for sale, determine the kind of patronage, unlocking their economic opportunities.

Among the host of markets across the state, few have a long history, serving as the centre of attraction for different kinds of products, including fabrics, home appliances and foodstuff, making them the hub of commerce for specific commodities being sort after by consumers.

Weekend Trust explored some of the popular markets in Lagos, revealing the uniqueness of these commodity markets, observing that trading is determined by the peak of the hour, especially early in the mornings.

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Tejuosho 

The market, tucked between Yaba and Ojuelegba, is reputed for huge sales of fashion items, fabrics, makeup, home wares, ready-made and second-hand cloths.

The market is always a beehive of commercial activities from dawn till dusk, segmenting its trading periods into two: morning and evening.

Before the completion of phases I and II of the Tejuosho Shopping Complex in 2014, the facility, adorned with ultra-modern edifice, suffered a major setback after a fire outbreak in 2007, leading to its reconstruction by the state government through public-private partnership to give it a new look.

The ultra-modern market houses over 4,500 shops, alongside roadside sellers who display their wares either on their hands or under umbrellas.

 

‘Fashion trends shapes the market’ 

The journey of Ijeoma Nnadi in venturing into the  sale of fabrics in the market began after she quit her banking job at the defunct Allied Bank in 1996, introducing her to the evolving world of fashion business.

Nnadi, one of the first occupants of the market before it became ultra-modern, described the facility as a hub for fashion, underscoring its importance in the fashion industry and the country’s economy.

She attributed the dynamics of the market to growing trends and the taste of young consumers, saying they dictate the products displayed for sale.

“I came to Tejuosho in 1996 when there was no extension. I was at the first market before I decided to relocate. I have been in this shop since 2002. 

“Business is dynamic, so I can only say, ‘be ready to move with the trend.’ We cannot say this is how it is being done from time. 

“In the fashion market, if you are not current with the trend you will be out of business. So, actually I have evolved because I move as the market moves.

“The desires of people change so much, so I am expanding,” she said.

Tracing the history of the market and its contribution to the fashion industry, she said cloths sold in the 1990s were conservative and presented a culture of modesty.

She added that the market had attracted a lot of influence from importers, saying their presence made the business to boom more.

“It wasn’t moving as much as it is moving now; there’s a lot of influence as people are coming from all over the world, not only Nigeria. 

“In 1996, I will say we had the fashion trend of people who were conservative – people seemed to cover up – but the Gen Zs of now love to expose themselves,” she said.

But despite the growing trend, she maintains a particular boundary, saying, “I will say I move with trends, but it is not that I am moving with the ones that want to go naked. I am average. I don’t go into that kind of fashion because there are those who still want to remain reserved and cover themselves.”

She added that the cost of running a business had increased tremendously, citing increase in payment of shops and other related expenditures.

“What has happened within this period is that for you to remain in business you need a lot of money. For instance, the cost of transportation to bring a bundle of just 10 pieces of cloths from Onitsha is N120,000, which is very expensive; unlike those times.

“I remember when I entered Tejuosho with less than N100 000. Today, I don’t even know how you would start because you can’t pay for shops; they are expensive. The one they just finished now goes for N3.2 million per annum.

“And we are expecting it here because since the price of this one has gone up, it will eventually affect us. They don’t want to have mercy on us, so you will see those who cannot afford it on the road,” she said.

Despite the increasing cost of running her business, Nnadi still prefers it to working in a paid employment, saying she has made gains since she resigned from the bank to start selling fabrics.

She revealed that she was planning to pass the business to her son, who works in the bank, expressing concerns over paid employment.

“Of course you will not get rich through a paid job because the amount you are being paid is calculated. And it is based on that amount that you can project anything. It takes a lot of time to save a lot of money, unlike business. 

“I have been reasoning over that idea. I can see that my son who is in a bank is still struggling. I worked as a banker for 11 years. I started in 1984,” she said.

She said the inability of some traders to rent a shop pushed them to litter the streets, saying it exposes them to extortion by touts, who collect money from them at the roadside in the morning and when they want to leave,” she alleged.

 

Survival meets creativity 

A visit to Tejuosho market showed that it serves as a beacon of home for many, offering them employment while showcasing their creativity

In 2023, Chukudi Okpe quit his security job to start making and selling bike shorts with N10,000. Okpe, who does not have a shop, finds respite standing on the roadside and daring both the hot or cold weather. He believes that the ladder of success in business is rooted in growing from little, mixed with diligence and hard work.

“I have been in this market for over two years. I started this petty business with N10,000. One can start with any amount; it does not need a big amount. You can start with at least N5,000, and little by little, you can climb.

“Tejuosho is a place where you can start if you don’t have enough capital and climb up to a place you expect to be. It depends on how you put yourself. If you are somebody that spends so much and does all sorts of things, I don’t think you would make it. But if you start with a small capital and know what you are doing, before you know it, you will find yourself in a place you never expected,” he said.

Okpe described the market as home to class stratification, attributing hard work as the fuel that drives roadside sellers.

“Tejuosho helps both poor and big ones, it doesn’t reject anyone. Whatever you have, come and start up with it.  It is a morning market. As early as 4am you will see people that are trading with touch lights, they pick whatever they need to pick; and they can go from 4am to around 4pm when you will see people closing up,” he said.

Despite starting small, Okpe said he paid N1,400 to money collectors known as agbero to maintain his place in the market, whether he sold or not. 

Alex King, who started by convincing customers to buy from a specific shop with the intent to get commissions, which are determined by the quantity of goods sold, testified to transformation in the last three years.

King, who has become a shop owner, said that in the last three years, he saved up to N800,000 to rent a shop at N300,000 and started a cloth business with N500,000.

“It was not easy at Yaba when I got to Lagos; things were difficult, I had nowhere to go until I met some friends that linked me to Yaba to meet Igbo guys to show me the way to make money. I would talk to people and bring them to buy our goods. I had to take potential buyers to people’s shops; and when they bought, I would get my commission.

“I did that for three years; and by the grace of God, I was able to save some money to have one shop,” he said.

King said he explored the social media to promote his business and gain online visibility with the handle name, Alex KingsNation, adding that becoming independent as a marketer is marked by a dint of hard work and financial discipline.

“You have to be financially disciplined. Many people I met do not have a shop. Apart from the shop I paid N300,000 to rent and used N500,000 to start my business, I sell my goods on TikTok and WhatsApp,” he added.

Also, Nnamdi John became a market boy after completing his tertiary education seven year ago, to become the proprietor of his fashion store.

“I have been in this market for about seven years. I started when I just finished school and needed money. I run a small-scale business,” he explained.

He identified increase in the cost of items and the daily payment of money to agbero as the challenges he faced running a small scale business.

“When I started, the prices of things were little, but now, they are high because of the cost of living. For example, the materials we used to buy at N300 are now over N1,000. I am just coping. I pay agbero N3,500 daily,” he said.

Omotayo Dada, a fashion designer who patronises the market, highlighted its uniqueness, saying she understands the facility compared to Balogun market.

“When it comes to materials, it is cheaper. I can get ready-made cloths instead of sewing. And there is mass production at Yaba. I stay very close to the Island, but it is more burdensome to shop at Balogun market. I really don’t know how to handle the market,” she said.

 

Balogun market: A melting pot for importers, retailers

The distance from Tejuosho market to Balogun, which is located on Lagos Island, is 8.9km. Despite the proximity, both markets attract different levels of patronage, portraying their uniqueness.

Unlike Tejuosho, where the mall hides the beauty of the colours of fabrics from the eyes of customers, save roadside vendors, Balogun market is sprawling as many small traders spread their wares on the road, inhibiting movement as pedestrians push their way with wares and vehicles.

Ebechukwu Emmanuel, who has sold fabrics in the market for over 30 years, identified ankara and lace as the most sought after at Balogun, describing it as the melting pot for both importers and retailers.  

Emmanuel said, “This Balogun market is nice. It is a place where so many importers are. What sells here mostly is ankara and lace. It is a place to do business, mostly if you are an importer – you can make it faster than being a retailer. It is not like the retailers are not selling, but in every market, what sells most is importation,” he said.

He further said that the market, which used to boost local manufacturers of fabrics, has become a cash cow for importers, saying high energy cost has crippled local manufacturers.     

“There used to be local manufacturers, but because of the cost of energy, most of them have folded up. In those old days we had so many manufacturers, but now, it is mostly importation,” he said.

He added that China and India are the largest importers, citing foreign exchange as the cause for increase in the cost of importation.

“We import from two countries: China and India. They make the ankara we wear. Foreign exchange is the problem in the market as it changes the face of business in a negative way. That is the problem we are having – exchange, prices going up, and everything. But we are coping, there is nothing we can do,” he said. 

He pleaded with the government to encourage local manufacturers and stop importation by easing the business environment.

He said, “Those are government policies. The most important thing is energy – when there is energy, everything is better.  For some time now, we don’t put on generators because of cost of fuel. And if you don’t use generators when there is no light, it is just like you closed your shop because everywhere will be dark. This is fashion business, so there has to be light,” he said.

He added that the cost of rent had increased, piling up the cost of business.

“Now, there has been an increase in the cost of a shop and the place you live. That one is a general problem and it is still lack of government effort,” he said.

Lateef Oyeyemi, who sells bags, corroborated the increase in importation of goods in the market, saying the facility has a lot of imported goods.

“We have distributors who bring bags from China and we buy from them. The bags are imported in different sets. We have school and travellers’ bags,” he said.

 

Alaba International 

This market is reputed as the electronic hub for over five decades. Electronics, such as computers, broadcast equipment, television sets, video gadgets, refrigerators, as well as generators, security equipment, household appliances are on display at different stores.

The market lies along the Lagos-Badagry expressway axis and enjoys patronage from neighbouring countries like Ghana and as far as East Africa, Togo and Benin Republic. 

One of the market’s founding fathers, Chief Christopher Chika Ajokorom, told this medium in an old interview, how it began by the determination of 13 young men of between 30 and 40 years of age and later blossomed into a sub-Saharan pride.

“When we started, nobody believed we would develop anything out of that wilderness. We started from Alaba-Suru, near Mile 2. The then government said we were operating close to an expressway and would hinder vehicular movement, so we had to move. But much later, the same state government, although of another administration, approved a market in the same area.

“Fortunately, we have made a huge success of our movement to this place,” Ajokorom said.

Describing the state of physical development of the host community, Ojo, he said the formative days of the market was calm as “Ojo was a sleeping hamlet.”

Malam Aliyu Hussein, a carpet and rug seller along Olojo Drive, said he started doing business at the market for about four decades, adding that he had transferred business ideas to many generations.

“I have been here for 40 years. I was single when I came, but got married a few years later. Alhamdulillah, we are doing our business and progressing.  We don’t have problems with our fellow traders. I sell any type of carpet and rug; any type you want is available,” he said.

Reflecting on the economy when he started and now, the Maiduguri-born businessmen said, “Things have really changed between then and now. You can’t compare those years to what we have now. But we thank God for everything.”

 

Mile 12: Lagos ‘food basket’

The distance from Alaba International to Mile 12 market stretches to 40.9km. However, distance has never been a barrier to major wholesalers, retailers and consumers who understand what Mile 12 market offers, which include fresh and dry pepper, tomatoes, yam, potatoes, vegetables and other food items.

Despite being located close to Ikorodu, Mile 12 market has never lacked obscurity as it welcomes traders and serves as the major centre for food items, serving both Lagos, the country and West Africa.

The market, which prides itself as the ‘home of food,’ welcomes visitors with the smell of fresh and dry  pepper, strong-faced muscular men lifting heavy sacks filled with food items on either heads or shoulders, and traders selling to their respective customers without much pestering.   

Established in the late 1970, Alhaji Watada Musa, the vice chairman of Onion Sellers Association, who has traded in the market for over 34 years, expressed nostalgia for the early days of the facility, saying there was ease of doing business. 

“Well, there are lots of differences and changes. In those days, things were very easy. There were good roads for the transportation of items to the market. The prices of  fuel, diesel and everything were low. This time around, things are very expensive and there is no good security. In those days, there was security – there was nothing like armed robbers and kidnappers. Now, all those things are almost everywhere in the North and wherever you go. Even in the daytime, sometimes they block roads and kidnap people. In those days there was nothing like those things.

“The economy was very good and stable. How much was a bag of onions in those days? It was between N1,000 and N1,200, but now, it varies from N110,000 to 150,000,” he revealed.

He identified Sokoto State as the largest producer of onions among other northern states, stressing that neighbouring countries, particularly Benin Republic and Ivory Coast depend on the market for the supply of onions. 

“Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Benin Republic buy from us. We used to import it; we used to cross borders,” he added.

He said Nigeria had the capacity to supply onions to all the countries in West Africa, disclosing that 10 to 15 trucks loaded with 260 bags of onions convey the items from where they are produced in the North to its destination in Lagos daily.

“In a day, we have from 10 to 15 trucks; and in a truck are 260 bags. And there are small cabs and trucks that carry between 110 and 150 bags. 

He identified post harvest loss stemming from poor storage as the major challenge confronting onion sellers and called on the federal government to support them.

“We have a lot of people who face a lot of problems in terms of looking for good seeds. So we used to go and do farming, and after that, we have a storage facility. We used to store all these onions you are seeing now locally.

“Electricity is not stable; and it needs ventilation. So you have to put it outside at the back of the compound or in the bush, where there is ventilation. We used to store 10 bags in one shed. And between four and five months, it will come back to three or four bags. One needs to have good storage facilities to keep it,” he said.

He, however, described farming as a lucrative business, saying one of his children would continue in his stead. He urged young ones to go into farming because “It is a very good business.”

Adam Hamza, a tomato seller, inherited the business from his father, who started in 1994. Despite being a Mass Communication graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Hamza prefers selling tomatoes to doing a white-collar job.

“Some people normally depend on white-collar jobs, where you receive salaries every month, but not like business. If God helps me, I make more of what some receive as salary,” he said.

He added that he had improved on what he learnt in the business from his father since he began in 2015, saying he calculates well to keep the capital from profit. 

He explained, “During their time, there was nothing like all those kinds of developments and changing of systems. They normally did their business offhand.

“There was nothing like bringing new system into a business to have personal gains. But it is different nowadays because if you offload like two baskets, you know how much your income is.

“The person that will help you to sell will know how much he will give you and how much it will remain and how much you will bring. They will know how much your gain is. If you would lose, you already know.”

Ahlaji Aminu Musa, the chairman of Fresh Pepper Association, Mile 12 International Market, highlighted the role of the 19 northern states, saying they are pivotal to the supply of fresh pepper.

“We get pepper from almost all the parts of northern Nigeria but it is seasonal because when the pepper from Kano stops, maybe we get from another state,” he said.

He explained the increase in the price of pepper, which cost ranges from N100,000 to N120, 000, depending on kilogram, attributing it to the rainy season. 

“Pepper normally grows during the dry season. It doesn’t do much during the rainy season because it doesn’t require much rain. So for now, we have a little bit of pepper in the market because there are not many of them in the northern part of the country,” he explained.

He identified the removal of fuel subsidy, which increased the cost of transportation and seeds, equipment and fertilisers as part of the factors that contributed to the high price of pepper. 

“We also want the federal government to produce fertilisers for farmers. We want the federal government to produce some machinery that can be used in planting or harvesting this product,” he pleaded.

Also, Femi Odusanya, who has spent over 20 years selling tomatoes and dry pepper, described the market as the beacon of hope for agricultural produce to countries in West Africa, saying Nigeria possesses potential value.

He said the market had evolved over its five decades of existence but lack of proper storage facility had contributed to post-harvest losses.  

“What we want here is to make sure that we have a good storage facility. We have some here, but we have to have a sizable number that can take maybe 1,000, 2,000 tonnes of commodities we can keep to address the issue of post-harvest losses There is also the issue of packaging of commodities.

“We are still using raffia baskets for tomatoes, for instance. We should be able to use crates, so let them intentionally intervene to bring in 100,000 crates into this market so that it will address the issue of post-harvest loss, enhance nutrition of those commodities and food safety for consumers.

“These are some of the things. We need infrastructure that will make it look like a modern market and what you have in developed countries,” he said.

With these commodity markets hosting customers in their thousands from far and wide across and outside the state, some customers spoke to Weekend Trust on why they patronize these markets despite the chaotic nature they all exhibit to potential buyers and customers.

Temitope Olabode, a fashion entrepreneur identified cheap prices and product variety as the reasons she prefers to patronise Balogun market.

“The reason I patronise the market is because of the availability of wholesale prices and its various options from different traders.” she said.

Olabode, who does her fashion retail business via e-commerce, described the market as a one-stop shop, noting that is one of the biggest in Nigeria full of diverse varieties of fabrics designs.

Merit Chukwunenye, a chef who owns a food brand described Mile 12 as his preferred choice to buy the ingredients to prepare food for her customers, saying the prices  are cheaper when compared to others.

“Recently, I had an order to prepare jollof rice for a party of 100 people. Mile 12 was my go-to choice because the prices for ingredients there are incredibly affordable.” she said.

She, however, described shopping in the market as a survival for the fittest and hectic, saying customers are usually on a high to safeguard their items from theft.

“However, it’s important to note that Mile 12 is not for the faint-hearted. You need to stay vigilant with your belongings to avoid being robbed or pickpocketed,” she said.