We Paid ₦2m Each, Yet No Shops – Gbagi Traders Accuse Makinde Of Abandoning Project

Traders at the age-old Gbagi Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene in the alleged abandonment of a shop reconstruction project after they reportedly paid ₦2m each for replacement shops.

The traders, including an 86-year-old woman, staged a protest, carrying placards and calling on the governor to compel the contractor to complete the project and allow them to return to their businesses.

Some of the placards read, “Seyi Makinde, build our shop in Gbagi,” and “Ati san owo, Seyi Makinde pelu Hamex Hamed Ebawa ko shop wa.”

The dispute followed the state government’s market redevelopment initiative, which began in 2025. Since the project started, traders have raised concerns over the demolition of their shops, their displacement, the conversion of motor parks into shops and the amounts demanded for replacement shops.

Speaking with Punch on Monday, 86-year-old trader Adegoke Funke pleaded with the contractor to return to the site, insisting that the traders had fulfilled their financial obligations.

“He should come and complete our shop. We have given him all the ₦2m,” she said.

Another trader, Oladapo Eunice, said the demolition of the old shops on January 3 had left traders struggling to sustain their livelihoods, with some reportedly taking loans to pay for the replacement shops.

“Since January 3, the old buildings have been demolished. Since then, we have been struggling. Some people took loans to pay the money, while some are already sick,” she said.

Eunice alleged that almost all the affected traders had paid ₦2m each but were later told that the amount covered only the construction completed so far.

“My shop was not as small as this before, but we accepted it because they presented themselves as the government. We don’t understand how Seyi Makinde allowed Ahmed to make us suffer,” she added.

A trader, Mrs Balogun Abibat, said the amount initially agreed upon for the replacement shops had changed several times, from ₦1.6m to ₦5m and ₦7m, before it was reportedly reduced to ₦2m following the traders’ visit to the state secretariat.

“We have paid that, and this is where they stopped building the shops. We expected them to finish the work, but they are telling us that this is where our money got to. We had an agreement; why do they want to change it? We are all women; why are they making us suffer?” she asked.

Balogun said the traders had been exposed to the sun and rain while waiting for the shops to be completed, adding that some had been unable to open their businesses for days because of illness.

Similarly, Mrs Olawunmi Ogunyinka said the traders were initially asked to pay ₦1.6m each, but the amount was increased to ₦5m after their shops were demolished. She said the amount was later reduced to ₦2m in February following intervention at the state secretariat.

Ogunyinka questioned the cost of the project, arguing that the traders could have built the shops themselves at a much lower cost.

“If we build the shops ourselves, we would not spend more than ₦400,000, considering their sizes. They asked us to pay ₦2m and have now said that the money only covered the uncompleted buildings. This is not right. They should return and complete the work they started,” she said.

The traders urged the state government to intervene in the dispute and ensure that the shops were completed so they could resume their businesses.

When contacted, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives was directly responsible for the project. He promised to respond to further inquiries but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.