The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has expressed outrage over the ongoing demolition of shops and structures by the Lagos State Government at the International Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, FESTAC, and other parts of the state.
According to NANTS, the exercise, carried out under the guise of enforcing physical planning laws, has left thousands of traders stranded, with goods and properties worth billions of naira destroyed.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its National President, Dr. Ken Ukaoha, NANTS said its office has been “inundated with petitions from devastated traders” who claim they were given little or no prior notice before bulldozers rolled in.
“These are hardworking Nigerians who invested their life savings into their businesses, pay taxes, and employ thousands. To subject such people to sudden loss and humiliation is both inhuman and economically senseless,”
— NANTS President, Dr. Ken Ukaoha.
While the association said it supports lawful urban development, it accused the Lagos State Government of targeting legitimate traders and destroying the livelihoods of a particular ethnic group that has contributed immensely to Lagos’ economic growth.
NANTS also faulted the Federal Government for remaining “mute and indifferent” despite the fact that the International Trade Fair Complex is not even owned or developed by the Lagos State Government.
“It is a shame that a government that travels abroad seeking foreign investors is silent when local investors’ properties are being demolished at home,” the statement added.
The traders’ body described the demolitions as “an act of economic insensitivity and bureaucratic oppression”, especially at a time when Nigerians are battling the harsh impact of subsidy removal without any form of relief or business protection.
NANTS Demands Immediate Action
The association called for urgent steps to address the situation, listing the following demands:
Immediate suspension of all demolition exercises at the Trade Fair Complex, FESTAC, and other affected areas.
Federal Government intervention to assess damages and compensate affected traders.
Independent panel of inquiry, including NANTS representatives, to investigate whether due process was followed.
National policy dialogue to design humane and sustainable frameworks for urban development and market regulation.
NANTS stressed that “governance must not be reduced to bulldozers and excuses”, reminding leaders that traders are not criminals but citizens working hard to sustain the nation’s economy.
“Nigeria cannot prosper while destroying the very hands that build her economy,” Ukaoha concluded, urging both the Federal and Lagos State Governments to act with justice, compassion, and dialogue.