That’s Ikeja’s current Computer Village, part market, part open-air challenge course for residents. Now, Lagos is saying: pack up, and move to somewhere designed for commerce, not compromise.

The State Government has confirmed that Computer Village will finally relocate to the ICT & Business Park in Katangowa, Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA. 

For more than a decade, the relocation has been on the lips of traders, officials, and developers, yet the project stalled in endless rounds of announcements and disputes. But this time, meetings are happening, plans are being redrawn, and officials insist the move is no longer a rumour but a matter of “when,” not “if.”

The official reason is this; Ikeja was never meant to house Africa’s biggest tech bazaar. What began as a cluster of phone repair stalls grew into a sprawling hub that now chokes the city with traffic, fuels environmental complaints, and keeps neighbours locked in a daily struggle against noise and overcrowding. 

The government says Ikeja must return to its residential roots, and traders deserve a space designed for their trade.

Katangowa, the proposed new home, is not pitched as a market alone but as an integrated ICT and Business Park. The blueprint includes banks, hotels, car parks, recreation centres, a fire station and police post, all connected by modern access roads and supported by digital infrastructure. 

Officials describe it as the future “Silicon Valley of West Africa,” a hub not only for hardware and software dealers but also for start-ups, training centres, and co-working spaces.

Market leaders like Iyaloja Chief Abisola Azeez have given cautious support, noting that a more organised environment could help businesses grow and attract serious investors. 

However, the traders themselves are worry. Many wonder whether customers will be willing to travel further out, whether relocation costs will cripple already strained businesses, and how supply chains, built over decades in Ikeja, will adapt to a new setting.

Part of the doubt comes from history. Traders recall how the relocation was first announced more than ten years ago, only to be delayed repeatedly. At one point, the developer contracted to build Katangowa was disengaged, leaving many traders who had already paid fees stranded and demanding refunds. This has made people wary, even as government officials now insist the project is back on track.

The timeline remains fluid. Some traders told me after yesterday’s meeting that the move may still be at least a year and a half away. The government has promised a phased approach, beginning with infrastructure rollout before gradually onboarding businesses between late 2025 and 2026.

What happens next will determine whether Katangowa becomes a triumph or another abandoned dream. If the promised infrastructure is ready on time, roads, drainage, power, and security, the relocation could transform Lagos’ tech economy, giving Computer Village traders the chance to operate in a proper business environment while also opening the door for new players in fintech and digital services. But if promises fall flat, the city risks swapping one congested hub for another half-delivered project.

So, Computer Village remains where it has always been: a noisy environment in the heart of Ikeja. But the writing is on the wall. Lagos wants change, and sooner or later, the traders will have to decide whether to embrace Katangowa or resist another government timetable.

From the moment those first SIM cards hit the market, a quiet revolution began. No, not in the dusty corridors of power or the high towers of industry, but in the hands of ordinary Nigerians.

The change was instant and irreversible. Suddenly, you could call anyone, anywhere, anytime. Businesses found new ways to connect, families stayed in touch across continents, and young people discovered the magic of “flashing.”

The magic started when then-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration sanctioned the liberalisation of Nigeria’s telecoms sector and approved the licensing of digital mobile operators.

It was a bold, forward-looking policy decision that opened the door to private investment, broke the state monopoly, and set the stage for a competitive market.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) conducted the 2001 landmark GSM auction that ushered in the mobile revolution that transformed the nation’s economic and social landscape.

But the real story of these 24 years goes far beyond the joy of mobile calls and texts. It’s about jobs, commerce, and capacity building on a scale on a humongous scale.

Let’s start with employment. Digital mobile telephony has created hundreds of thousands of direct jobs, from engineers and marketers to customer service agents and retail sales staff. These are the visible ones. I was privileged to spend almost nine exciting years at MTN Nigeria.

Then there are the millions of indirect jobs: tower riggers, recharge card sellers, mobile money agents, SIM registration officers, and, yes, even those who rent out umbrellas to street-side phone vendors.

Every city, every town, every village has felt this ripple effect. For many young Nigerians, that first job in a telco store or as a recharge card hawker was the gateway to bigger opportunities. It wasn’t just about earning money; it was about learning discipline, customer service, and the hustle mindset that fuels our economy.

The impact on the economy? Massive. Think of a sector, any sector, and I’ll show you how mobile telephony supercharged it. Agriculture? Farmers now contact buyers directly, eliminating the need for middlemen.

Banking? Mobile banking, USSD codes and fintechs with services like Moniepoint, OPay and PalmPay have turned phones into banks, driving financial inclusion for millions. Education? Students download resources and attend virtual classes.

Entertainment? Nollywood and Afrobeats exploded onto the global stage, riding on the back of mobile internet.

It’s no exaggeration to say that digital mobile telephony became the invisible infrastructure powering Nigeria’s growth.

Besides, mobiles supercharged SMEs, which make up over 90 per cent of Nigerian businesses. Research shows that businesses using mobile internet see productivity jumps of at least 10 per cent, growing twice as fast and exporting more.

Today, across Nigeria, millions of people are earning a living from phone-related hustles. From POS agents handling cashless transactions to content creators on TikTok, mobile is the ultimate job creator.

Perhaps one of the most underappreciated aspects of this revolution is the massive skill transfer it triggered.

In 2001, Nigeria had limited local expertise in telecoms engineering, network maintenance, or digital customer care. Today, the country boasts a growing army of telecoms professionals, many of whom now export their skills to other African countries and beyond.

Capacity building wasn’t limited to engineers. Entrepreneurs learned to run distribution networks. Marketers learned to sell intangibles.

Young people learned to code, build apps, and create mobile-first businesses. And it’s still ongoing, the sector keeps up-skilling people to keep pace with evolving technology.

Now, there is a segment that appears to operate below the radar. It doesn’t get enough attention. I’m talking of the parts and accessories market.

This is the huge informal sector that thrives in every corner of Nigeria. From chargers, earphones, and phone cases to replacement screens and batteries, the trade is endless.

The scale is mind-boggling. Think of Computer Village in Lagos, GSM Village in Abuja, and smaller clusters across every state.

These markets employ tens of thousands directly, and their supply chains support countless others, including importers, wholesalers, artisans who fix phones, and street vendors. It’s an economy within an economy, and its contribution is incalculable.

As we mark 24 years, it’s worth noting that the journey is far from over. The conversation has shifted from basic connectivity to high-speed internet, 5G rollouts, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence. The opportunities are bigger, the stakes higher, and the potential limitless.

But let’s not forget, this all began with the simple power to make a call. That one breakthrough unleashed a chain of economic, social, and personal transformations that continue to shape Nigeria today.

At this point, both MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria deserve commendation for their outstanding performance during this period.

So here’s to 24 years of digital mobile telephony in Nigeria, the ride that changed everything, and still promises more.

*Elvis Eromosele, a corporate communications professional and sustainability advocate, wrote via elviseroms@gmail.com.

Dr. Olajide Babatunde, the special adviser to the State Governor on eGIS and Urban Development, stated this on Tuesday, during an inspection tour of the Ikeja Computer Village.

Government’s reasons for relocation of Computer Village

According to Babatunde the following reasons make the relocation an all-important one and also fundamental for Lagosians to be cognizance of the following;

1. “The Computer Village areas within the state Law is a Residential Area and is still a residential area that has grown into a full-blown market which is against the Modern City Plan of the State.
2. “The relocation of the market will be done in consultation with all relevant stakeholders including the markets associations and owners of properties in the area.”
3. Lagos state’s exponential growth will have serious consequences on its urban space if not properly planned, hence, the need for the relocation of the computer village to a more spacious area that would not have traffic implications and other consequences on the citizens.
4. The regeneration and development of urban Lagos is not limited to computer village alone but across the state.

“Shortly, Lagosians will start feeling the positive impact of the redevelopment plans on traffic decongestions, security implications and other positive areas.

Dr. Olajide Babatunde, who was accompanied on the assessment tour with top management of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LABSCA, led by the General Manager, Arc. Gbolahan Oki.

Babatunde said the state government was committed to the regeneration and development of urban areas of the state.

He stressed that “The present administration led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is committed to the restoration of the master plan of Lagos which is being degraded and distorted.”

According to Babatunde;

“The relocation of computer village presently in Ikeja to Kantagua in Abule- Egba area of the state is in progress and when fully completed will boast of world class facilities such as: schools, hospitals, clinics, hotels, banking facilities, warehouses, storage rooms, among others which will make shopping more conducive and befitting of the mega city status as envisage by the Governor and as obtained in other modern cities of the world.”

He stated that;

“The Computer Village area within the state Law is a Residential Area and is still a residential area that has grown into a full-blown market which is against the Modern City Plan of the State.

“The current location of computer village in Ikeja was planned to be a residential area and that plan is being distorted by commercial activities within the area. We cannot fold our hands and allow the distortion to go on, the residential status of that area must be restored.

“We are trying to do things in proper ways that will ensure that urban centers are re-generated, re-developed, innovated, conserved in line with the THEMES+ agenda of present administration.

“The Computer Village area still remains a residential area and its Land Use has not been changed by the State Government and this is the main reason the government is relocating the traders to Katangua for proper settlement,” he stated.

“If the rules say it is a residential area then it must remain a residential area, therefore, the government has to make provision and also accommodate the people who are in this area and that is the reason why the state Government is developing Katangua into a model market,” he added.

Babatunde noted that Lagos state’s exponential growth will have serious consequences on its urban space if not properly planned, hence, the need for the relocation of the computer village to a more spacious area that would not have traffic implications and other consequences on the citizens.

The special adviser, while assuring shop owners and traders that the planned relocation will be transparent, said the state government would carry them along as nothing would be imposed on them, stressing that “the relocation of the market will be done in consultation with all relevant stakeholders including the markets associations and owners of properties in the area.”

“The regeneration and development of urban Lagos is not limited to computer village alone but across the state. Shortly, Lagosians will start feeling the positive impact of the redevelopment plans on traffic decongestions, security implications and other positive areas,” Babatunde said.

[Featured Image Credit]

In a statement released this evening, Gbenga Omotoso, commissioner for Information & Strategy, Lagos State, said the State has nothing to do with the demolition at Computer Village in Ikeja.

“The structure is owned by the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA), which ordered its demolition.

“Those circulating the fake news that Lagos State Government is demolishing Computer Village are opportunistic ethnic chauvinists who will always relish in vacuous propaganda that can fuel their fiendish mission; they will always fail in dividing Lagosians”, the statement reads.

Saturday night, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said the planned demolition and reconstruction of the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) Shopping Complex, Ikeja, Lagos, was in good faith and for the interest of all concerned.

The Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, gave this clarification on in a statement.

Traders at the complex have been protesting against the planned demolition. On Friday, commercial activities at the complex were paralysed following the running protest by traders over the demolition plan.

Shops and stores were opened for business on Thursday while the protest lasted, but on Friday, all the gates leading to the complex were locked.

The traders, led by the leadership of the complex, displayed a banner showing the court injunction they secured to prevent the demolition of the complex.

Mr Adejobi, however, said it has become imperative to properly establish that the complex, a property of POWA, which was officially allocated to wives of police officers and their relatives, has been scheduled for demolition.

According to him, the demolition is to enable the police to commence immediate construction of a modern shopping complex on the same land.

“The decision to demolish and reconstruct is predicated on the fact that professional opinion indicated that the structure as it is, constitutes a looming environmental hazard, as the site is prone to flood and may collapse.

“There is also the need for immediate landscaping and reconstruction. The planned demolition and reconstruction will be in phases and is in good faith for the best interest of all concerned.

“All necessary legal requirements have been duly met. The current occupants of the complex have been given more-than-enough enough notice of the demolition to enable them evacuate from the facility in good time.

“Necessary steps have been taken to temporarily accommodate them within the same complex, while the reconstruction lasts.

“Equally, the relevant Lagos State Government agency, according to its expert advice, has been approached, required help sought, and necessary approvals for demolition obtained,” he explained.

Mr Adejobi further said that while the demolition will proceed as planned, Nigerians were urged to disregard frivolous and unsubstantiated claims as well as media blackmail alleging wrongdoing and illegality on the part of the police or the POWA.

He pointed out that the police and their affiliates, like the POWA, will always be committed to better welfare and standard of living for its personnel and their families.

There is no gainsaying that these markets are due for closure. However, what next after the re-opening of the markets?

One of the places in town synonymous with huge refuse generation is the markets. Many times, markets are considered to belong to nobody; as such, traders want their immediate environment habitable for their businesses, and at the close of the day, they “drop” the byproducts of their wares somewhere, mainly on the roadside by the huge refuse collector and head to their various abodes.

Yes, we will not, but blame the traders for not doing the appropriate thing. However, with the recent strategic move of the Ministry of Environment and LAWMA, everybody will know that it is no more business as usual. You have to take full responsibility for your environment, or else, the state will deal with you.

However, there needs to be a pivotal strategy by the government to ensure that refuses do not become a menace for the traders, with the campaign on Circular Economy and how to achieve this. It is time to really put this into action for the good of every Lagosian.

The Lagos State Government and LAWMA need to design a model of evacuation of refuse to these markets so that there would be seamless management.

For instance, Mile 12 markets, wherein groceries are sold at the open market, will always have perishable items. There is a need for the government to know if this waste can be used to nourish the soil or even made into consumables for livestock. If this is done, there will be a significant drop in wastage that we currently face as a nation.

At the moment, there are some peculiar markets, Computer Village and Alaba, Aswani and Yaba, with products that the world is still grappling with the best way of handling its waste; these are the largely electronic-related-waste and clothes. We do not have a model that will resolve waste, and it has become expedient to know how to fix this challenge too.

The peculiarity of each market will determine what will be done to ensure that we get the best out of the waste produced daily. So, we need to develop a strategy for markets that deal in motor parts, fashion, and accessories, pieces of furniture, metals, amongst others.

I would also want to drum up support for the state government’s action. As a result of the import-dependent nature of the Nigerian economy, many traders have had the opportunity to travel to nations wherein they import their wares and also gone on pilgrimage either to Jerusalem or Saudi Arabia. The famous saying, “Opopo Mecca mo roro”, means the streets of Mecca are sparkling clean. However, we all enjoy making our roads stink.

With the level of Government investment in LAWMA and the franchisees located across the state, there are still insufficient waste truck collectors that can serve these markets daily, and that is why the level of waste keeps growing geometrically and the unending competitive need for the services of these waste collectors from the residential areas to the commercial areas.

This might warrant the closure of the commercial spaces every week because of the attendant waste.

The LAWMA Summer Academy for children needs to be infused into the curriculum for students of Lagos State so that we can begin to catch them young.

If the content of the training is made available to children through the classroom, they will, in turn, educate their parents, and this will lead to attitudinal change in the community at large.

Beyond the sanctions on residential and commercial areas on issues of waste management, a stakeholder forum on effective waste management for a mega city like Lagos needs to be organized so that we can take lessons that will turn our waste into wealth.

The game is not over, the advocacy is not over, and the attitudinal change should really begin now across all societal strata so that our Lagos can also receive accolades for being one of the cleanest states in Nigeria and Africa at large.

*Olutayo Irantiola, PR Consultant, Creative Writer and Public Affairs Analyst writes from Lagos, Nigeria. He blogs on www.peodavies.com, and can be reached via peodaviescomms@gmail.com.