Organised groups representing Oyo State market women have called on the state government and local government councils to halt the ongoing market shops demolition exercises across the state.
In addition to stopping the clearances, the traders are demanding immediate infrastructure upgrades and structural women business support to safeguard their commercial interests. These requests were formalized during an advocacy visit by civil society representatives to the leadership of the Ibadan South East Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Thursday.
Ibadan Market Unions Build Joint Coalition
The advocacy campaign is led by the Iyamapo Centre for Peace, Women and Youth Development. Speaking during the visit, the Executive Director of the centre, Mrs Sherifat Taleat-Arafat, stated that the organization is mobilizing public backing for traders through a newly established network. This network comprises more than 100 Ibadan market unions and commodity associations operating within Oyo State.
The coalition receives international development support from the Heinrich Böll Foundation. According to organizers, the alliance was formed to build institutional solidarity among female traders and present unified policy positions to state authorities.
“The coalition is advocating improved welfare for women in markets and seeking positive government response to their needs and aspirations. The women are demanding an end to the demolition of market shops, improve social amenities in markets and access to financial support for business expansion,” Taleat-Arafat said.
Local Council Responds to Market Shops Demolition Appeals
The Chairman of the Ibadan South East LCDA, Mr Teslim Ogundeji, received the delegation and acknowledged that Oyo market women function as vital contributors to household income and broader community development. Ogundeji noted that female traders shoulder significant financial responsibilities for their families and require targeted women business support programs to sustain their enterprises.
However, the chairman noted that a historical lack of structural unity among separate Ibadan market unions had previously limited their ability to secure sustainable development concessions from the government.
“Women in markets are providers and pillars of households, so their importance in peace building and development of any society cannot be over-emphasised,” Ogundeji stated.
The local council chairman committed to transmitting the official Charter of Demands to the executive leadership of the Ibadan South East Local Government. He stated the document would also be sent to the Oyo State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) for administrative review. Ogundeji added that organized coordination among market leadership blocks is necessary to ensure long-term stability and economic advancement for traders.
Representatives Urge Women Business Support, Institutional Inclusion
Chief Muniratu Ilori, the Otun Iyaloja of Ibadanland, spoke on behalf of the market leadership delegation. She emphasized that internal alignment among trade leaders remains essential to attracting public and private development partnerships to the markets.
Ilori called on all levels of government to address the core grievances of Oyo market women by building modern sanitary facilities, issuing credit grants, and deploying capital resources to protect small-scale retailers. She further advocated for the inclusion of women in statutory governance roles to ensure trade associations are consulted prior to urban planning and market shops demolition decisions.
The engagement concluded with the formal presentation of two policy publications titled Charter of Demands: Voices of Market Women in Oyo State and Needs Assessment of Market Women and Commodity Associations in Oyo State.
