The busy Computer Village, Ikeja, a hub for computers and allied products literally became a ghost of its self last Thursday as the entire market was put under lock and key with stern looking law enforcement agents positioned in strategic locations to ward off people into and outside the multi billion naira market.
Blocking the entrances into the market were vehicles of the Lagos State government with inscriptions of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment suggesting that the closure of the market may have been spearheaded by the state government.
Nigeria Communications Week investigations revealed that the closure of the market was affected by the Lagos State government over the negligence of the traders to pay their income taxes and other levies as well as reckless street trading which government authorities said has overwhelmed the area.
An official of one of the trade unions in the market informed that his members were already having talks with officials of the Lagos State Waste and Management Authority (Lawma) and Ministry of Finance (Tax office) in trying to proffer a truce for the reopening of the conference centre for Information and Communication Technology (ICT
) products in West Africa.
Information also revealed that the state government had earlier in the year sent its representatives to the market about its intention to close down the market if the traders fail to meet with the conditions set by it
The Computer Village is one of the biggest ICT markets in West Africa and people travel from far and near to purchase their ICT products from the market. Most people who have visited the market these few days were stranded as they met the market under lock and key since Thursday last week. Some traders hawk computer peripherals like software within the periphery of the market showing obvious sign of distress. Within the third day of the closure of the market several millions of naira have been lost by the traders in revenue.
However going by the tone of the discussions between market representatives and Lagos State government, market may reopen early next week to give room for heightened commercial activities that are hallmark of the Christmas season.
