Disinterest has continued to trail marketing, business, and commercial activities in Anambra State, after Governor Soludo of Anambra State forced traders back to markets to stop the sit-at-home order still being observed by traders and residents of Anambra State.

Traders seem ready to fully return to the market and streets for commercial activities, but they have not been able to convince their customers, both within and outside the state, to come to the markets to continue their business activities on Mondays.

Also, interested traders who are ready to return to the market are not finding it funny transporting themselves to their respective markets under exorbitant cost of transportation, without seeing customers to patronise them to recoup the money they spent transporting themselves to markets.

A visit around Onitsha yesterday revealed that apart from market traders, artisans and private shop owners doing different businesses along the roads and streets are not open for business, with many street and road business operator shops under lock and key.

Shops located on the streets that have no link with markets opening or closing, located within Oguta road, Awka road, New and Old Cemetery roads, Old Market road and New Market roads, which link to Onitsha Main Market and markets surrounding it, were seen under lock and key.

Shop owners along New Market road, known for dealing in interior decoration materials, located between NNPC filling station towards Zenith Bank and UBA along New Market to Shopping Malls known for dealing in phone accessories, have their shops locked with the bank along the road also not operating.

A shop owner in Old Market Road, Amechi Ukoro, who opened for business expecting customers that were not forthcoming, told Vanguard that traders and business men in the state feel wounded by the federal and states government inaction in addressing the issue that in the first place led to sit-at-home.

According to Ukoro: “the situation is like a wound, and it will take time to heal. Its healing will start with the demands of the people to address the issue that let to starting sit-at-home. If it is not addressed, I think everybody seem to be enjoying the Monday sit-at-home. So, the federal and state governments should do the needful.”

Some of the traders who spoke with Vanguard in other places, including Sokoto road market, called on the state government to regulate the cost of transportation, saying that tricycle and commercial bus operators are ripping them off, collecting any amount of money they like from them, even the same amount they were collecting in the December period.

Another trader, Okechukwu Okafor, said that if the traders must return to market without incurring losses that will pain them following non-patronage by customers, the activities of the commercial vehicle and tricycle operators must be regulated, as a drop that used to be N200 before now costs them N500, N700 to N1,000, a price they say is not acceptable to them.

“From Onitsha Main Market to Nkpor junction, which used to be N300, bus drivers collect between N800 and N1,000, a drop, while tricycle operators collect between N1,300 and N1,500, a situation the traders feel is a waste of money. To spend between N1,600 and N2,000 to and fro to markets without seeing customers to buy their goods is not easy.”

A trader in Ogbaru Main Market noted that if they must fully return to market, the state government must also force the banks to work by opening on Mondays or be sanctioned.

Vangaurd also observed that out of over ten Banks from Upper New Market road to New Market road by Emeka Offor Shopping plaza, only two have their gates half opened to the extent that customers don’t even know if they are opened for business or not.

Soludo shuts down Nnewi Market for a week

Meantime, the Anambra State government yesterday, shut down the New Auto Spare Parts Association (NASPA) Market, Nkwo Nnewi, for not opening on Monday as directed by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.

The market, whose date of closure is effective from midnight of Monday, 23rd February, 2026, will reopen next Monday, 2nd March, 2026.

According to the state Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, the closure of the market followed low compliance with Governor Soludo’s order to end Monday sit-at-home in Anambra State.

He said the order to close the market was handed down on behalf of the governor by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Markets, Chief Evarist Uba.

“Traders and customers are advised to avoid the market until next Monday to avoid issues with law enforcement agents.

“The market may face further closure if compliance is not substantial by next Monday, when the market reopens”, Mefor said.

Meanwhile, normal activities resumed in most of the markets in Anambra State on Monday following the governor’s order late January 2026. (Vanguard)

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