Notable Markets in Ikeja, Lagos State Nigeria

People go to various markets in their locality to basically purchase one item or the other. There are a lot of markets in Nigeria that attract various kinds of customers due the nature and type of goods and services that can be found in the market.

There are markets that are known for particular goods and services they sell and render which makes people decide to go them for their various needs.

For example there are markets that are well known for being a great place to get your materials, outfits clothes and accessories.

There are also markets known for being the right place to go to for various types of food stuff and perishable goods.

There are also markets that are known for being the place to go to if you are in need of electronic appliances like television sets, refrigerators and lots more as well as markets where you can shop for your electronic gadgets like phones, laptops, batteries and more.

Apart from availability, quality and lots of options of a product or item they will like to buy, a lot of people also choose some specific markets to go to because of the price and bargain deals they can get.

These people go to a market because they feel prices there are cheap while some other people will not mind going to a market even if their prices are high as long as they can get quality for their money.

In Ikeja, there are many markets that cater to the different needs of people as they shop for various items they need, they include:

ALADE MARKET

Alade market is located in Allen Avenue, Ikeja Lagos State. The market is considered to be a market that is expensive in nature probably due to it being in the highbrow area of Allen Avenue. The goods in this market are usually expensive which is why most of the people who shop in the market are usually rich or comfortable and have a bit of money to spare.

The market offers a lot of goods and services giving customers a lot of options as they shop in the market.

The market consists of a lot of retail shops and is home to over 500 people who run different types of businesses including selling of consumable goods, fashion items like clothes, bags, materials, bureau de change services, travel and tour services, car hire services, repair services of clothes, bags and lots more making it a market that is visited a lot by people.

The government of Lagos State has had plans since 2010 to renovate the market and turn it to a mega market that will fit in line of the mega city plan of the state government.

Though the government plans seems laudable they have been facing stiff resistance from the owners of the shops in the market who do not feel comfortable with government plans. Though government has stated that they have plans to move shop owners to another site, the traders are claiming that the site government has proposed to give them is not conducive enough and cannot accommodate all of them.

Talks are still going on between the government and the shop owners to find a suitable and amicable solution.

GSM VILLAGE

GSM Village is located along Agege motor road on the way to Oshodi and is near the International airport. The area is always busy as a lot of activities take place in the market as it near the ever busy route that usually has a lot of traffic with a lot people passing through the area.

GSM Village is a technology based market where the major products sold are phones and their accessories with a few people selling laptops. The market hopes to position itself as the number one spot for the purchase of mobile phones and accessories.

The GSM Village started some years ago after the rise and boom of the telecoms industry and has grown overtime to be a vibrant market with a lot of business activities done daily.

The market which has about 400 shops is stated to be making about 4 million naira daily from sales made. The market has tried to position itself to be the place where people can get the best deals and quality for any product they need which has seen it receive patronage from Ivory Coast and Ghana.

An aspect of the market that could make it stand out from other markets is that unlike other markets that cope with problems like street trading, limited parking space and harassment, GSM Village seems not to have these problems as the market grows.

COMPUTER VILLAGE

Computer Village is a technology based market located in Ikeja Lagos. The market is an IT market that deals in the sale of mobile devices and gadgets like mobile phone devices and accessories, computers and their accessories, laptops and their accessories and lots more. The market also specializes in repairs of various devices such as various brands of mobile devices, laptops and computers as it houses some of the best technicians and engineers in the state.

The current location of the market which is near Ikeja under bridge was formerly a residential area until around the year 2000 when it became a known market for purchasing different mobile devices and gadgets and accessories.

The market had a boom around 2003 with the growth in the telecommunications industry with the introduction of GSM services in Nigeria which led to it becoming a major point of call for telecommunication users.

The market has helped in creating a lot of employment opportunities as many businesses spring up on a regular basis. The growth of the market has also led to different business being set up as in recent times we have seen people come in to sell cloth items and we also see a lot of food outlets and canteens being set up to satisfy the feeding yearnings of the business owners and visitors.

The growth and success of the market had led to investors coming into the market from across Africa which has led to further expansion of the market.

With over 3000 business owners and a lot of business activities occurring daily, the market produces and contributes over one billion dollars annually to the economy of Nigeria.

A major criticism of the market is that a lot of fraud, deceit and other crimes occur in the market. There are complaints of traders selling fake and stolen phones which is said to be done by traders who have not been registered by the market.

These traders that engage in such unlawful acts are believed to be the ones who transact their business on the street of the market, on the roof top of cars or set up show glasses to do their business.

The government has plans in the future to relocate the market as it sees it as a means of dealing with the increasing population of the market.

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