By Charles Mgbolu

Like the biblical Exodus, software engineers and system’s technician from the nooks and crannies of the country have continued to flock down to’ the computer village in pursuit of a means of livelihood.

In Lagos alone, road side comers and targeted street points which had once been their abode are beginning to be devoid of these crude software handlers who had initially tried to set small scale businesses that helped with trivial phone and computer software issues such as anti virus software installations, phone flashing and repair, computer repair, software down loads and mp3 music downloads. They had also done memory drive swipe and complete memory installations.

Those that spoke to this reporter say the buzz from customers had begun to die at these points and was growing in intensity inside the computer village Otigba market hence their movement which is basically to survive.

An engineer who simply gave his name as Basil said he had heard business was constantly thriving for software engineers in the market. He said “My customers kept advising me to.gC! and set up business inside the market because many people now go there for their software needs there and not just any roadside technician. I was reluctant at first until I noticed that business was really going down here. I tried the computer village for only a few days and the result was unbelievable”

Basil may have found succor inside the market, but then the market already teeter s on the brink of a human explosion with the state government and trade unions within the market battling to keep things

under control; these new and continuous influx could only make matters worse.

The Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria CAPDAN the official trade union body of the market had in the past partnered with the Lagos state and the Ikeja local government union officials to help reduce the population implosion by flushing out street traders and unregistered market dealers and the roads had been freed for the very first time but this had not lasted for long.

These software engineers and technicians have retaken the streets and there are no signs of the situation abating anytime soon.