Lagos State has given traders at the popular Computer Village market 18 months to relocate to a new site at Katangowa, in a move officials say will improve urban planning and support business growth.
The decision was formally communicated on Monday during a stakeholders’ meeting attended by government officials, market leaders and traders. The state government said the Katangowa market site, located in the Agbado/Oke-Odo area, is now fully equipped with infrastructure to support technology-focused businesses.
Gbolahan Oki, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, told participants that the relocation project, first proposed in 2006, had faced years of delay due to slow development at the new site. With major construction now complete, he said, “the time has come to implement the long-delayed move.”
Computer Village, Nigeria’s largest hub for information and communications technology (ICT) products, emerged informally in Ikeja over the years. Oki explained that the area was originally designated as a residential zone, which has posed planning and regulatory challenges for the government.
The Katangowa site spans 15 hectares and includes modern facilities such as a police post, hotel accommodations and proximity to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) terminal for easy access. Additional road works are ongoing to improve transportation links.
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Project coordinator Olayinka Bello said the relocation would not only decongest Ikeja but also boost economic activity, create jobs and increase Lagos State’s internally generated revenue.
Market leaders expressed cautious support for the plan. Chief Abisola Azeez, Iyaloja of Computer Village, reminded traders that the relocation agreement dates back to the administration of then-Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now Nigeria’s president, and urged them to cooperate with authorities.
Oki assured traders that the state government would engage them throughout the transition process and warned against continued use of roadside spaces and walkways for trading in Ikeja. He stressed that enforcement of planning regulations would follow for those who refuse to comply.
Officials said the 18-month timeline marks the final phase of a relocation process aimed at reorganizing one of Lagos’ busiest commercial centers while aligning with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s broader urban renewal agenda.