Nigeria: Soludo Shuts Onitsha Main Market for One Week in Fresh Push Against Monday Sit-at-Home

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

Nigeria: Soludo Shuts Onitsha Main Market for One Week in Fresh Push Against Monday Sit-at-Home

Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week, intensifying government efforts to dismantle the long-running Monday sit-at-home culture that has disrupted economic life across parts of Southeast Nigeria.

The directive was issued on Monday in Onitsha, following the governor’s on-the-spot assessment of the market, where a significant number of shops remained shut despite repeated government assurances of security and directives for traders to resume business.

Soludo expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as the market leadership’s refusal to comply with official instructions, stressing that the continued closure of stalls undermines state authority and deepens economic paralysis in one of Nigeria’s largest commercial hubs.

According to the governor, the decision marks a decisive attempt to resolve the lingering question of who controls public space, time, and commerce in the Southeast, particularly on Mondays, a day that has, for years, been affected by fear-driven compliance with sit-at-home directives issued by non-state actors.

He described the sit-at-home order as a “ghost mandate” sustained by fear rather than law, noting that it has crippled livelihoods, discouraged investment, and normalised economic shutdowns in the region.

Despite sustained appeals to traders and enhanced security measures rolled out by the state, Soludo said many shop owners again chose to stay away from the market, a situation he said reflects the deep-rooted climate of anxiety that still hangs over the area.

The governor warned that the Anambra State Government would not tolerate deliberate defiance of lawful directives, adding that the current one-week shutdown could be extended.

“If the market fails to reopen after this period, it will be closed for one month — and possibly longer,” Soludo warned.

“You must decide whether you want to do business here or move elsewhere. The government is serious about restoring normal economic activity.”

Onitsha Main Market, one of West Africa’s largest trading centres, has repeatedly been affected by sit-at-home observances, leading to heavy losses for traders and disrupting supply chains within and beyond Anambra State.

The state government insists that reclaiming Mondays is critical to economic recovery, public confidence, and long-term stability in the Southeast.

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Chioma Ndukwu

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