Femi Benson* has been selling gadgets in Computer Village for seven years and had never missed a rent payment for his shop until earlier this year.
His business, with more than 10 employees, was profitable and thriving. He had enough money to pay his rent, but he was behind. The rent was due in January 2024, but he was three months behind on it, eventually forcing his landlord to close his shop and forcing him to pay it.
All the while, Mr Benson wrestled with the question of whether to continue making payments for another year or postpone, fearing the government’s earlier promise to destroy Computer Village, Africa’s largest gadget market.
On December 30, 2023, POWA Complex, a shopping unit with over 300 stores and over 1,000 residents located within Computer Village, was demolished with 24 hours notice. The demolition was carried out by the Lagos State Government Claim Benson fell behind on rent payments due to alleged non-involvement.
“After seeing what happened to the people at the POWA complex, I told myself that the government can’t do anything and nothing will happen,” Benson said.
Benson and thousands of other Computer Village shopkeepers are worried about the government’s plans to relocate to a new site and the potential impact it could have on their businesses.
A vibrant technology market
What began as a series of temporary shops in Ikeja in 1996 to date has rapidly developed into Africa’s largest gadget market, now spanning multiple streets and a magnet for ICT companies.
It’s hard to imagine Lagos’ Computer Village as anything other than a bustling tech market, but it was a quiet residential area in 1996. Its transformation began when a group of visionary entrepreneurs realised the area’s potential for technological innovation.
By 2001, the area had been transformed. Homeowners sold their properties, which had been converted into a shopping plaza. As demand soared, vendors adapted, selling phones, accessories, and internet modems. Today, the area is home to LED light displays for major smartphone brands, SIM card registrations, mobile money transactions, and a range of electronics.
The Computer Village is spread across seven major streets and is a mix of low-rise buildings, shopping plazas, renovated bungalows, iron kiosks, and freestanding umbrellas. Though the market faced difficulties during the 2020 lockdown, it has since recovered and is booming with daily activity.
For over two decades, they have become the go-to for mobile phones, laptops, and on-demand gadgets in general, generating as much as 1.5 billion naira (about $1 million) per day. According to one study, they generate over $2 billion in revenue per year, which is 2% of Nigeria’s GDP. Additionally, the community generates over 60 million naira (about $38,000) in taxes for the Ikeja metropolis.
But today, its future is uncertain
Plans by the Lagos State Government to relocate the market to Gatankowa ICT Park, Agbado/Oke-Odo were first proposed in April 2017. The aim of the relocation was to decongest Ikeja, the state capital, and provide modern facilities for traders. The state government expected to complete the relocation by the end of that year. However, seven years on, the plan is yet to materialise.
Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Mr. Olajide Babatunde Recently visited the market It also said its contract with the project consultant, Bridgeway Global Projects Ltd, had been terminated two years ago for non-performance. “Even after the termination, the consultant continued to occupy and collect illegal fees from the traders,” Babatunde said.
The proposed Gatankowa site has seen several companies reconsider their investments due to a lack of surrounding infrastructure and ongoing bureaucratic red tape. Babatunde stressed that the Bola Bello-led Urban Development Authority will now manage the project. “It is illegal for a consultant to collect fees or money from anyone under the guise of market development after the end of their contract.” He said.
The terminated developer, Bridgeway Global Projects, denied the allegations of fraud. Bridgeway’s managing director, Jimmy Onyemenam, claimed the company stopped collecting fees after receiving notice of termination. “Despite the termination, we have maintained cleanliness, security and other services at our own expense,” he claimed.
Stakeholders are also concerned about the communication and decision-making process regarding the relocation. Chairman of the Ikeja Computer Village Market Committee, Adebowale Soyebo, stressed the need for transparency. “If they want to create another market and relocate traders, they must go along with it,” he said. “We have not been informed by either the government or the developer about the cancellation of the relocation.”
The Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Tobson Alake, shared his views on the complexities and plans in a recent conversation with Bendada.com.
“The initial plan was to relocate Computer Village to another location, but unfortunately, the location is not ready yet because if we are going to relocate the market, it must have the facilities and infrastructure to thrive,” Alake explained.
“But rest assured there will be ample notice. It won’t be a surprise relocation where the government asks you to move tomorrow. You will be given months’ notice once your new home is ready.”
Alake also pointed out the importance of organising the business internally to attract investment before relocating: “Currently, Computer Village is not organised, so how do we organise it to attract investment? There are a lot of independently run units, but rather than investing in one, how do we form a team or a cooperative that investors can look at?”
The realization of the new ICT park vision involves multiple ministries and the federal government. Initially, the vision fell under the purview of the Ministry of Urban Planning, which focuses on urban development. However, the project requires a coordinated effort across various ministries to ensure both urban development and economic growth. This collaboration aims to leverage the strengths and resources of various departments to create a comprehensive, integrated plan.
Despite these setbacks, the Lagos State Government remains optimistic, bearing in mind that hi-tech parks are still a new concept in Nigeria. It will take time. But the current state of the project has many traders and businesses feeling anxious about its future.
As the market awaits decisive action, the bustling streets of Computer Village continue to thrive, albeit in the shadow of uncertainty, with the hope that Gatankowa ICT Park will finally fulfil its promise and bring a sustainable future to Nigeria’s largest ICT market.
Between resilience and doubt
While government officials debate the future of Computer Village, the traders who have built their lives and businesses around the bustling market are facing a different reality: for them, the proposed relocation to Gatankova ICT Park is not just an administrative ploy, but a potentially life-changing one.
Obinna Uzor*, a trader who has been selling mobile phones and accessories for more than 10 years, expressed his concerns. “This market is more than just a place of business for us – it’s our community,” he said. “Relocating to Gatankowa without the proper infrastructure and support would be like asking us to start over.”
As a result, some stores have begun to shift to remote work. Traditionally, the Village has been a bustling downtown area with brick-and-mortar stores and shops catering to large numbers of foot traffic.
However, with the future of the market in flux, traders are adapting by launching e-commerce platforms and leveraging social media to reach out to customers, allowing them to continue operating and earn an income without having to physically be at the market.
Though the government insists these are isolated incidents, parts of the market have already been demolished, which some non-Indigenous people believe signals something more than migration to “greener pastures.”
Bendada.com spoke to some traders who believe the move has a tribal bent to it, and according to them, fears of a kind of ethnic cleansing are looming.Non-indigenous people believe this is an opportunity for the government to relocate their shops based on ethnic sentiments.
“Personally, I don’t like how tribal it tends to be. Most people will avoid getting caught up in this web, stop being local traders, and probably even run their businesses from home rather than having a place in the village (either existing or new), especially those who already have a strong footprint online,” said Paul*, one of the traders who has shifted to remote work long ago.
Other traders, however, are indifferent. For another trader, Babatunde, the prospect of adapting to a new location is a case in point: As a long-time businessman and happy with his current setup, he sees relocation as a distant issue rather than an immediate challenge.
“Government has been pushing this relocation for about 15 years. It doesn’t bother us much anymore. Those who have been here for a long time are reluctant to invest in change until there is a clearer and more concrete plan in place. The focus remains on maintaining the customer base and managing current operations,” Babatunde told Bendada.com.
The tenacity of the traders has been the cornerstone of Computer Village’s success. Despite frequent power outages, cramped space and inadequate facilities, the traders have managed to create a thriving ecosystem. They have learnt to trade with what we have, but their business would be severely disrupted if they were to move to a place lacking basic amenities.
Babatunde’s fears are shared by many others in the market. Bob Iden, an out-of-towner who runs a small shop selling phone cases and chargers, worries about the impact on his customer base. “Our customers know where we are here. If we relocate to Gatankowa it will take time for them to get used to it and we could lose business in the process,” Iden told Bendada.com.
By comparison Failed Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City The Bangladesh example is instructive: promised infrastructure and benefits did not materialize there, leading to business disappointment and financial losses, and there are fears that Gatankova may suffer a similar fate.
Despite these concerns, some traders see potential opportunity in the relocation. “If the government can ensure the right infrastructure and facilities, Gatankova will be a new starting point for us,” says Tunde*, who sells refurbished laptops. “A more organized market could attract more international companies and increase sales.”
But optimism is tempered by caution. Traders are wary because the government’s track record on infrastructure projects so far has been less than stellar. A lot has been promised so far, so they need to see concrete action before fully committing to the idea.
As the debate continues, Computer Village traders are persevering, adapting to the uncertainty of the future: They hope that Gatankova ICT Park, even if eventually fully established, will not become a symbol of broken promises.
For now, the market is vibrant, proving the resilience of traders.
*Names have been changed to avoid personal identification