Economic activity returned to life at the Onitsha Main Market on Monday as traders reopened their shops, effectively weakening the long-observed Monday sit-at-home in Anambra State. The development follows a firm directive by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who ordered the market shut for one week after traders appeared to comply with the sit-at-home imposed by non-state actors.
Governor Soludo had warned that failure to resume business after the shutdown would attract stiffer sanctions, including extended closures. One week later, traders responded. By 8:45am on Monday, shop owners were seen unlocking stalls and arranging goods across major sections of the market, signalling a return to normal commercial activity.
From Egerton Road through Ose Foodstuff Market, Young Park, Emeka Offor Plaza, Sokoto Road, Lagos Line, and Marine, traders set up their wares as customers gradually returned. The once-quiet corridors of the market buzzed with movement, reflecting growing compliance with the state government’s directive to ignore the sit-at-home order.
The sit-at-home practice, which has lingered for nearly four years, has repeatedly crippled economic and social life across the South-East. Markets, schools, transport services, and offices have often been forced to shut, with Onitsha—one of Nigeria’s biggest commercial hubs—bearing the brunt of the disruption.
The Soludo administration has consistently condemned the order as illegal and economically damaging, urging residents to go about their lawful activities without fear. To reinforce compliance, security personnel, including police and military operatives, were deployed around the market. Monday’s reopening marks a significant moment in the state’s push to restore confidence, protect livelihoods, and reclaim its economic rhythm.