CLOSURE OF LAGOS MARKETS, BAN ON STREET TRADING/ HAWKING: : "LIVELIHOODS OF THE MASSES ARE AT STAKE" - CHSR TO SANWOOLU

 CLOSURE OF LAGOS MARKETS, BAN ON STREET TRADING HAWKING:  "LIVELIHOODS OF THE MASSES ARE AT STAKE" - CHSR TO SANWOOLU

By Oluwatoyin Mathnuel 

"Lagos market men and women, under the Babalojas and Iyalojas leadership, stood firmly with Gov. Sanwoolu and the previous government in Lagos state to secure their mandates during elections. It's therefore disheartening to see this same mass come rain or sun, suffering under the guise of environmental pollution excuses by the government, through the closure of the markets, instead of fines that can be met within a day or two," The Centre for Human And Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) emphasized during a recent press briefing in Lagos state.

The CHSR President, Com. Alex Omotehinse, and concerned activists could not help but compel Gov. Babajide Sanwoolu to reopen Lagos state's closed markets and reconsider the ban on street trading and hawking, which could have been managed through other security measures and strategies.

These activists were deeply concerned about the latest ban on street trading by the Lagos state government. They raised an alarm as no alternative means of livelihood have been considered by the government to support the overwhelming majority of the masses who engage in menial trading and hawking activities for daily survival. 

CHSR made it known that the majority of Lagos populace are poor, as street trading provides simple access to goods for low-income consumers who cannot afford to shop in formal retail stores. Street trading is also an essential source of income for many low-skilled workers who are unable to secure formal employment. 

Research outcomes attributed trading to factors like poverty, lack of education, immigration, unemployment, urban culture, low income, lack of microfinance, storages, theft, or damages of goods.

 Regulating street trading/hawking is the best measure to preserve the livelihoods of an overwhelming population, which cuts across families and communities that rely on trading activities on a daily basis.

Moreover, the majority of these market men and women resorted to street trading with their wards after being dispossessed of their shops and stalls by the government under the disguise of market renovation, only to lease such markets to their cronies who built locked-up shops that traders could not afford, due to the exorbitant fees being charged by the developers.

CHSR and Civil Society Stakeholders look forward to an inclusive stakeholders forum on street trading and market operation in Lagos state. They advocate for the deployment of intelligence mechanisms for crime prevention by strengthening the police to arrest and prosecute offenders, a review of the PSP policy to ensure non-exploitation of these traders. The current operatives have proven to be inefficient and ineffective in dealing with the waste generated by the populace.

 In conclusion, the Centre For Human And Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) compels Gov. Sanwoolu to reopen markets presently sealed, to alleviate the anguish of traders and Lagos residents.