INSIDE THE OGBA SUNDAY MARKET

For many Lagos residents, Nigerians and foreigners alike, when it comes to foodstuffs, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji Sunday Market in Ogba, Lagos is where to go for good bargains.

For four years, that is, between 1990 and 1993,rather than head for church on Sunday mornings, Mari Nwokike would rather be on her way to Better Life for Rural Women Sunday Market in Ogba, a sprawling suburb near Ikeja, the Lagos State capital. Although a housewife then and with another market close to her residence, Nwokike preferred deferring shopping for food items to Sundays when the weekly Better Life Market held. As far as she was concerned, “When it comes to perishable food items, particularly fruits and vegetable, that was the best place for good bargains”, she recounted to the magazine.

All that, however, stopped early 1993, when on her way to her now accustomed Sunday shopping; she was arrested by soul-stirring tunes blaring from a church loudspeaker on her route. That was how she subsequently dropped the habit of Sunday shopping. Now, she is ever quick to recount how this market, initiated by Maryam Babangida, wife of Nigeria’s first and only military president, Ibrahim Babangida in 1986 as an avenue for rural farmers to display their agricultural produce, changed her life. Nwokike is today and ordained minister of God.
Though the name of the market has been changed several times by successive governments; from Better Life For Rural Women, Sunday Market to Family Support Programme, FSP, and now to Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji Sunday Market; it remains the favoured market for assorted food items at relatively cheap prices.

Eniola Iruaregbon, a business woman corroborates this view. As she told the magazine, aside from the fact that the market is close to her church, the prices are much better than what obtains in other markets. Moreover, “the market is neat and there is adequate parking space for people”, she said. Titi Bakare, a business woman, prefers the market for fresh fruit at reasonable prices.
Nigerians are, however, not the only ones patronizing this market. Foreigners also do. For instance, Assi Nagah, a Lebanese, told the magazine that the Sunday market was her preferred market for fresh fruits and vegetables just as it is for Nabila Fir, another Lebanese seen on a humid Sunday afternoon, shopping for eggs and fresh vegetables.

While the many patrons of its market appear pleased with their purchases, the traders are equally delighted with the volume of business carried out. For instance, Adetokunbo Gbogboade, a pork meat seller at the market for the past 10 years, slaughters an average of six pigs for sale every Sunday and, with a kilogramme of pork going for N250, Gbogboade admits that he has done well for himself. Oftentimes, his customers, who include the Lebanese and the Chinese, pre-order their needs through phone calls.

Recalling the history of the market, Folashade Salako, its Iya Oloja (market leader) narrates that the market which started operations over two decades ago scrutinises new entrants to ensure that only credible traders are allowed to conduct business. Additionally, traders are selected based on number of people applying from each of the 20 local government areas in the state. Interviews are thereafter conducted for them to ascertain the source of their products and applicants who fail to meet the stipulated conditions are refused membership. The relatively hygienic environment, she attributed to regular sanitations carried out by the markets and other authorities.

With the market holding increasing attraction for more Lagos residents, along-time resident of the neighbourhood, Adijat Lateef, could not understand why the market originally set up for rural farmers should be hijacked by sellers of other commodities. Even then, she admitted making all her food purchases there.