KEY PONTS

• Onitsha Main Market closure follows traders ignoring Monday reopening orders.
• Soludo warned the shutdown could extend to one month.
• Onitsha Main Market closure tests Anambra’s economic recovery plan.

Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has ordered the closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week after traders again stayed away in defiance of the state’s directive to ignore the Monday sit-at-home order.

Soludo issued the directive on Monday during an inspection of the market, accompanied by senior aides and government officials. Security agencies immediately sealed the facility, with the governor warning that the shutdown could be extended if compliance does not improve.

The move marks a significant escalation in the state government’s effort to restore normal economic activity across Anambra and the wider South-East, where Monday closures linked to security fears have persisted despite official assurances.

Onitsha Main Market closure follows traders’ absence

Soludo said repeated appeals and enhanced security arrangements had failed to convince many traders to reopen their stalls, turning the latest absence into what he described as deliberate economic sabotage. While the market was officially open, locked shops and empty corridors told a different story.

“The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and official directives meant to restore normalcy,” Soludo said at the market. “This is a protective measure for law-abiding citizens.”

He added that the government would not tolerate continued noncompliance, warning that failure to reopen after the one-week shutdown would trigger a one-month closure. “You either decide to trade here or you go elsewhere,” the governor said.

A joint security task force comprising police, army and other agencies guarded the market perimeter as the order took effect, underscoring the seriousness of the enforcement.

This plan tests Monday normalcy

The shutdown forces a closer look at whether traders will return when the market reopens next Monday, or whether the market will remain empty despite the government’s show of force. The outcome could shape how economic life in Anambra functions on Mondays going forward.

The Soludo administration has repeatedly directed businesses and markets to operate normally at the start of the workweek, arguing that sustained closures hurt livelihoods and state revenue. Officials say restoring routine commerce remains central to economic stability.

The state has also begun using financial incentives and penalties. From February 2026, civil servants’ salaries will be paid on a pro-rata basis tied to attendance on Mondays, according to Information Commissioner Law Mefor. The decision followed a retreat of the State Executive Council reviewing the administration’s record ahead of a new term starting March 17, 2026.

As the gates of Onitsha Main Market remain shut this week, traders, residents and policymakers alike will be watching closely for signs of compliance or renewed resistance.