By STELLAMARIS ASHINZE

The Coalition of Associations in Computer Village (CACOVI) have expressed concern over the current state of the village in Ikeja area of Lagos and the prolonged plans to relocate the electronic gadgets market.

The president, CACOVI, Mr Timi Davies, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the computer village had spread and enlarged beyond imagination, adding that the market had become congested.

Davies was reacting to declarations by the Lagos State Government after its recent visit to the computer village to relocate the market to an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Park situated at Katangua in Abule-Egba area of Lagos.

He said that the traders worries were not the relocation but affordability of the shops at the ICT park and their purchasing power.

The CACOVI president said that the current economic situation was not favourable to businesses, adding that the relocation policy would be assisted if the shops at the park were subsidised for traders.

He added that government could also choose to assist traders with funding support through loans.

Lagos State has been on the issue of relocation of computer village since 2007, which was initially refused by traders but later embraced by them.

The developer has been trying to raise money which is a challenge, government can make policies on the relocation but one thing is sure not everybody will relocate to the ICT park.

Beyond the ICT park, there is a need for government to be proactive in making proper use of the tax payers money in the Ikeja Computer village.

My point is that the present state of the Ikeja Computer Village is not encouraging. The market should be taken care of and enforcement put in place, so that the biggest ICT market in West Africa can truly occupy the position of an organised market, he said.

According to Davies, since the installation of an Iya-Oloja (female market leader) in the computer village, the market had ceased to be organised.

He said that there were now so much environmental hazards and street trading, which was not synonymous with the old computer village.

The CACOVI president urged the state government to take a look at the state of the village with a view to bringing about positive changes while the traders waited to be relocated.

Also speaking with NAN, the Developer of the ICT Park at Abule Egba, Bridgewater Global Project Ltd., said that the relocation had experienced some setbacks due to some unresolved issues.

The Chief Executive Officer, Bridgewater Global Project Ltd., Mr Jimmy Onyemanam, said that the unresolved issues were, however, being addressed by the present administration.

Onyemanam said that the challenge also bordered on the volatile nature of the economy, saying that for instance, the project cost of about N17bn when it was approved, costs way beyond that now.

He said that there was an understanding with Sterling Bank which could be reviewed, so that the traders would be able to acquire the shop through a lease arrangement.

According to the developer, the terms of the agreement for a loan facility for the traders would be in collaboration with the various associations in the computer village.

He commended the state government for showing more visibility in recent time through its assurances, saying that this would help increase the operators confidence in the project.

There is a need for government backing, it is only when there is an emphatic statement from the government that the relocation can be encouraged.

NAN reports that the Lagos State Government had said that it was set to relocate the Computer Village from Ikeja to Katangua in the Abule-Egba area of Lagos.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr Olajide Babatunde, reiterated this during a joint inspection and enforcement exercise carried out by the Lagos State Building Control Agency.

The exercise was in conjunction with some law enforcement agencies and other relevant government agencies in charge of emergency-related matters. (NAN)