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Onitsha Main Market takeover begins as Soludo insists on Monday trading and removal of illegal structures.

The Anambra State Government is set to take over the management of Onitsha Main Market following renewed tension over continued sit-at-home compliance by traders.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo announced the decision after visiting the market last week, where he ordered a one-week closure due to persistent shutdowns on Mondays. The move sparked protests among traders, but the government maintained its position.

Behind closed doors on Sunday in Awka, the governor met with market leaders and presented them with two clear options.

According to sources familiar with the meeting, the traders chose to resume full business activities on Mondays rather than risk a total overhaul of the market.

Under the agreed terms, traders will reopen their shops on Mondays and comply with attendance monitoring. In return, the state government will begin a major reorganisation of the market, including the demolition of illegal structures, removal of unauthorised plazas, and restoration of parking spaces and wider access roads.

Sources said Soludo described the recovery of parking facilities as an emergency, warning that any structure built on designated parking areas would be pulled down without delay.

The governor also announced plans to set up a committee to recertify all shop occupants. The exercise, he said, is aimed at identifying legitimate traders and improving regulation within the market.

Traders reportedly appealed for the market to reopen on Saturday, but the governor rejected the request. He insisted that reopening would only happen on Monday, when compliance would be reassessed.

“They agreed to reopen on Monday and resume business fully,” a source said.

Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared a region-wide solidarity lockdown scheduled for Monday, February 2, 2026. The group said the action is in protest against the temporary closure of Onitsha Main Market and in support of the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB called for a peaceful shutdown across the South-East, urging residents to stay indoors and suspend commercial activities.

The group rejected claims that the sit-at-home amounts to economic sabotage, insisting it remains a voluntary act of solidarity.

As Monday approaches, attention is now on whether traders will comply with the agreement and how the government’s takeover plan will reshape one of West Africa’s largest markets.