Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Monday ordered the immediate shutdown of the Onitsha Main Market and adjoining markets for one week in a move aimed at enforcing compliance with the state government’s directive against the long-standing Monday sit-at-home practice. The decision, announced during an on-site inspection of the market, followed the refusal of many traders to open their shops despite repeated warnings from the government to disregard the order imposed by non-state actors. The closure has immediate implications for thousands of traders, transporters, and residents who depend on the commercial hub for daily income and supplies.
Addressing traders at the market, the governor declared that the shutdown would last for the entire week in the first instance and warned that failure to comply at the expiration of the period could lead to further closures. “As I’m speaking to you now, when I finish this, this whole Main Market and all the adjoining markets will be locked down for the whole of this week,” Soludo said. He added that government officials would conduct inspections every Monday and any shop found closed would be sealed for another week.
Soludo described the continued observance of the Monday sit-at-home as “plain economic sabotage” and suggested that those who refused to open their businesses could be acting with questionable intent. He warned traders that they had a choice to either operate normally within the market or relocate elsewhere. “If you like it, I don’t mind shutting down Main Market for the remainder of this year,” he said, emphasizing that the state would no longer tolerate what he termed deliberate defiance of lawful directives.
The governor also referenced the historical reputation of Onitsha Main Market as one of the largest markets in West Africa and expressed concern that its closure on Mondays had become normalized. “An abomination that lasts a year becomes culture,” he remarked, insisting that the practice must end. In a stern warning, he stated that any shop that remained closed going forward would be locked for a week as a deterrent measure.
The action forms part of the Soludo administration’s broader effort to end the Monday sit-at-home that has persisted in parts of the South-East for about four years. The practice, originally enforced by non-state actors, has significantly disrupted commercial, educational, and social activities across the region. The state government has consistently urged residents to go about their lawful businesses without fear, describing the order as illegal and harmful to economic growth.
According to figures cited by the state government, the sit-at-home costs Anambra State approximately ₦8 billion weekly and the South-East region about ₦19.6 billion. Officials argue that such losses undermine livelihoods and discourage investment in the region. Soludo said the closure of the market was necessary to “send the appropriate signals,” protect law-abiding citizens, and reinforce the authority of the state.
Security personnel, including police officers, soldiers, and members of joint task forces, were deployed to the market to enforce the governor’s directive. Barricades were placed around the perimeter to ensure compliance and prevent trading activities during the shutdown period. The presence of security operatives underscored the seriousness of the enforcement effort and the government’s determination to implement its directive.
In response, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) criticized the governor’s action. IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, described the shutdown as “disappointing and unacceptable,” urging residents to defy the closure and resume trading. He argued that no government had the right to punish citizens for what he termed the peaceful exercise of conscience and characterized the threats to seal markets as intimidation rather than governance.
The state government, however, defended its position through the Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, who said the measure was a direct response to persistent non-compliance. He warned that if traders failed to resume business by the end of the one-week period, the market could face closure for up to a month. Other markets across the state, he added, were expected to operate normally on Mondays, with similar penalties for defiance.
Reports from Awka indicated partial compliance with the directive, as civil servants were seen commuting to government offices unlike in previous weeks. Governor Soludo, alongside the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, also visited hinterland markets to monitor adherence to the directive. The visits were intended to demonstrate government commitment to restoring normalcy beyond Onitsha.
In the education sector, the situation appeared mixed. While many schools in Onitsha, Nnewi, and Ekwulobia were technically open, attendance by students and teachers was low. Some parents expressed support for the government’s stance but raised concerns about the safety and practicality of sending children to school when markets, banks, and transport services remained largely inactive.
Augustine Akor, Chairman of the Parents-Teachers Association at Community Secondary School, Inoma, urged the government to strengthen security measures around schools to encourage attendance. He noted that without functioning transport systems and nearby commercial activities, compliance would remain difficult. Another parent, Patrick Ugor, echoed the sentiment, stressing that safety assurances were essential for the directive to succeed.
Madam Njideka, a parent in Nnewi, questioned how sustainable the policy would be if essential services did not operate fully on Mondays. “Yes, the governor has done what he should, but how is the directive going to work?” she asked. Her concerns reflected a broader uncertainty among residents about the practical implications of the enforcement measures.
For many traders, the shutdown represents both a financial setback and a moment of reckoning regarding the long-standing practice. Some expressed frustration at being caught between government directives and fear of reprisals from non-state actors. Others viewed the government’s action as a necessary step to break a cycle that has hindered economic productivity in the region.