Onitsha Main Market Traders Opt For Full Monday Trading, Reject Sit-At-Home Option

Traders at the Onitsha Main Market have agreed to adopt the second option presented to them by the Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, bringing an end to uncertainty surrounding the popular Monday sit-at-home practice at the market.

Under the approved Option 2, traders will:
Resume full trading activities on Mondays
Mark attendance as required by the state government
Participate in the regeneration and reorganisation of the market
Allow the demolition of all illegal structures and plazas
Support the creation of proper trading spaces and designated car parks
The decision followed extensive consultations between the state government and market leadership after the temporary shutdown of the Onitsha Main Market, over persistent observance of Monday sit-at-home.

Governor Soludo had earlier presented two clear alternatives to the traders. The first option, which was rejected, would have allowed the continuation of sit-at-home on Mondays. However, this would have resulted in the complete demolition of the entire Onitsha Main Market, followed by a two-year reconstruction exercise aimed at restoring the market to its original master plan.

By choosing the second option, traders have opted for immediate economic continuity while aligning with the state government’s vision to modernise, reorganise, and restore order within the market.
The agreement is expected to boost commercial activities in Onitsha, improve urban planning, enhance security, and restore investor confidence in one of West Africa’s largest open markets.