POWA Complex Demolition: Ikeja traders struggle to rebuild amidst uncertainty, appeal for temporary settlement 

On Friday, January 12, Mr. Adebanjo Akinola*, a laptop trader at Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos, was shocked to discover the Police Officers’ Wives Association Shopping (POWA) Complex, popularly known as Mega City, in debris.

Akinola travelled to his hometown for the festivities and came to check on his friend, Mr. Ifeanyi Uzor, who has a shop at the Mega City. 

“I just called him now, and he informed me that he was only able to retrieve some of his goods, while the rest were confiscated by the Police,” he lamented to The Record.

“What’s next for them? Are they (POWA) going to find another space for them to sell?” Akinola queried.

On January 31st, 2023, about 300 shops at the Police Officers’ Wives Association Shopping (POWA) Complex in the Computer Village, Ikeja area of Lagos were demolished. 

While many traders were recounting their end-of-the-year profits, the POWA shop owners ended the year with a heavy heart and huge loss worth millions of naira, resuming the new year with uncertainty.

According to Nigeria Police Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the traders were given ample time to evacuate from the facility. 

“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,” Adejobi said.

Mr. Emmanuel Eze*, a shop owner, confirmed a 24-hour notice to The Record, sharing how he had always heard news about the demolition for many years even when he was still an apprentice.

“After backyard settlement, nothing would happen. This time around, they actually did it,” he said to the Record.

A few weeks after the demolition, the traders are still literally picking up the pieces from the demolition to start afresh. 

On a visit to the site, our correspondent spotted traders clearing the debris from the wrecked shops to set up a temporary shelter to continue sales. Food sellers and other traders have started selling their wares close to the entrance gate of the POWA staff quarters.

A week after the demolition, Mr. Chukwuma Kingsley, an engineer, decided to mount an umbrella in one of the destroyed shops to continue his business. 

“My motto is to move forward regardless. I have been working here quietly. Some of my customers heard the news and have been able to locate my new location here,” Kingsley said to The Record.

He further expressed hope in the development of the forthcoming project on the demolished site, praying to be one of the lucky traders who would be able to buy a shop space after the completion.

Other traders like Mr. Matthew Chike* have been unable to get a space to continue their business. “I am not used to staying at home all, day doing nothing; that is why I come here every morning, hoping that there might be an announcement or good news about the situation,” Chike disclosed to The Record.

The Lagos State Government, in an official statement, disassociated itself from the demolition of the popular complex, emphasising that the demolition was ordered by POWA.

*Name changed to protect source’s identity.