The Special Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Urban
Development, Dr Olajide Babatunde, disclosed this on Saturday, during a joint
inspection and enforcement exercise carried out by Lagos State Building Control
Agency, in conjunction with some law enforcement agencies and other relevant
government agencies in charge of emergency related matters.
Babatunde said the Lagos State Government was trying to
reorganise markets in the state.
He said, “We are trying to reorganise all our markets. I
will give an example, in Ikeja, we have the computer village, which is being
relocated to Katangua.
“Hence, it is not just the computer village alone, there are
other activities that would happen in the Katangua market.”
According to him, in the coming weeks, the efforts of the
government on the Katangua market will be seen.
He added, “We are moving those people who seem to be on the
road in Ikeja and obstructing traffic, into a proper market big enough with all
the services, with a creche for their children, schools, playground, churches,
mosques, storage room, warehouses, some accomodations and and hotel facilities.
“We are trying to do things in a proper way, we are working
on all of these things to ensure that we re-generate, re-develop, innovate,
conserve, and anything we need to do in terms of the terminologies we have in
urban development, will be put to play in Lagos in way that we would have a
greater Lagos rising.”
It was earlier reported that the relocation was supposed to
happen in 2017 but was stalled.
In 2023, the state’s former Commissioner for Physical
Planning and Urban Development, Wasiu Anifowose, said that all arrangements had
been made to relocate the traders.
Anifowose noted that the market was located in a residential
area, adding that the relocation would reduce gridlock.