Nigerian traders under the aegis of Traders’ Right Protection Initiative has called on Lagos State government to review its policies on incessant market closures, saying this have had adverse effect on their businesses.

The traders who spoke in Lagos, through their national coordinator, Christopher Okpala, said the incessant closures have subjected them to physical and spiritual pains as they can no longer meet their obligations to their various families.

Okpala who said they are losing millions of Naira as a result of the closures called for a policy capable of encouraging them to tap into the nations resources adding: ‘’In other countries of the world, traders are being encouraged to tap into the business sector, but here in Nigeria, we are being threatened on daily basis as a result of infrastructural decay and obnoxious policies which work against us. The government, especially Lagos State, should review its policies and come out with an agenda that can propel us to do better in the various markets.

Also, they frowned at government insensitivity to their plight with reference to the fire incidents of Mile 12 plank and Jankara markets as well as closure of Ladipo and Tejuoso markets.

saying proper investigations were not conducted as the traders were left to bear the risks alone. ‘’Government should use other means to sanction the traders rather than using a sledged hammer to kill a fly; such action is having an economic and social consequences on us. The government has accused us of poor sanitation without considering the fact that area boys have taken over most markets and this has been reported to the various local governments who have turned deaf ears to it.’’

While condemning the recent bombings of Kano motor park, the traders blamed this on inadequate security in markets and motor parks adding, ‘’traders are the most vulnerable to the attack and the culprits should be brought to book because traders were the highest causalities. The market situation is unfavorable to traders, we want government to review its policies to make trading favourable to us’’

Traders’ Right Protection Initiative is an umbrella body of most market associations in Nigeria with Nine zones across the nation.