By Nnamdi Ojiego

Business activities at the Computer/GSM section of the Nigerian Army Shopping Arena otherwise, known as Oshodi Computer market, is yet to fully pick up after more than two years of its establishment. Located on a site that used to host the Nigerian Army‘s mammy market in Oshodi, the computer market can be accessed from Bolade Bus Stop along Agege Motor Road, Lagos.

When the market was commissioned by then Minister of State for Defence, Ademola Seriki on April 14, 2009, many assumed that it would compete favourably with the popular Ikeja Computer Village.

This assumption was based on the good location of the Arena, enough parking lots, modern facilities and orderly arrangement of everything in the market. The huge investment the Lagos State government made in Oshodi and its environs by cleaning the area, ensuring free flow of traffic, and fixing street lights along the Agege Motor Road further further makes the place conducive to business.

Based on these, and structures and facilities in place, many computer and phone vendors operating in Ikeja rushed to the Arena to acquire shops to take advantage of the good environment. Some of them who spoke to Vanguard Hi-tech said the market was yet to kick off in full force as expected as customers just trickle in.

“Everything is okay here. The environment is very conducive, in fact, we have everything we need here but we don’t see customers to buy our products,” said a trader at the Arena who simply identified himself as Ekene. He continued: “Considering the location of this market, I thought by now business activities here would have overtaken that of Ikeja computer village. I don’t know why people still go there despite the inconveniences and stress there.”

Another trader who pleaded for anonymity said they spend most of their time sleeping in their shops because there was nobody to attend to. “As you can see, this place is dry, nobody is coming to buy. This is how we spend our days here hoping that one day, business will boom.” On what the cause for the low turn out of buyers, he opined; “I don’t really know but I think this place is not well known to the people. I think the management of this market needs to create awareness so that people will know there is a GSM market here.”