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lags2020
Guest
There are hundreds of popular markets in Nigeria with something that sets them apart from the others, and some of these will be examined here. Nigerians are dependent on markets for every household needs, and these are where sellers and buyers meet on daily basis to meet one another’s needs. Almost every state in Nigeria has a major market that gives it popularity, and a few of these will be examined across the length and breadth of the country.
1. Bodija food market, Ibadan
There are several markets in Ibadan, but Bodija market is most reputable when it comes to fresh and dried food products. Hundreds of trucks and trailers from northern Nigeria converge in Bodija market every week to offload all things food – beans, rice, garri, elubo, groundnuts, dried maize, dried fish, dried meat, food ingredients, yams, pepper, tomatoes, and every kind of food item you can imagine among Yoruba people. Bodija market is in lined stalls, and sections of stalls are dedicated to particular food items; there are stalls for beans, stalls for garri, stalls for yam sellers, stalls for cow sellers, and so on.
2. Computer village, Lagos
The Computer Village in Lagos is the largest computer and electronics market in the southwest of Nigeria. You can find almost any type of computer products and accessories, electronics, DVDs/blue-ray discs, mobile phones, iPads, laptops, and PCs of all brands at the Computer Village. Computer and mobile devices from countries such as the US, China, Japan, and other nations find their ways down to Nigeria via Computer Village in Lagos. Beyond this, computer technicians, software engineers, mobile phone repairers, electronics dealers and all computer experts and businessmen dominate the market. This market can be compared to the Alaba International Market when it comes to computer and electronics products in the country.
3. Onitsha market, Anambra State
Onitsha market in Anambra State is not a market for the Igbo-speaking peoples of Nigeria alone, it is an international market frequented by all Nigerians and Africans in general. This market was very popular in the 1950s due to literature publications, and this evolved to what is known as the Onitsha Market Literature where fledging writers wrote extensively to promote knowledge through books, pamphlets, and novels. But today, Onitsha is largely known for second-hand clothes imported into the country and other sundry items that cater to the needs of the Nigerian masses.
4. Idumota market, Lagos
Idumota is a very popular and busy market in Lagos where you can buy almost anything. But hold on, Idumota has now evolved to become the hub for distributing Nollywood movies and the home of entertainment marketing in Nigeria. You can now get any local or foreign films in Idumota cheaply without any hassles, and you must also be aware that pirated movie copies flood the market to make expensive films cheap and available – something movie actors, producers and the government have been working to clamp down on.
5. Gbagi market, Ibadan
Gbagi market and Aleshinlogy market can be placed almost on the same pedestal when it comes to cloths dealership in Ibadan and the southwest of Nigeria. You can get virtually any types of clothing material in Gbagi market, with newest and latest fashion fabrics offloaded right from textile factories into the market. Whatever the name of the clothing material, you are sure to get it in Gbagi market, and then Aleshiloye market; and community associations, ethnic groups, and whole villages or towns buy desired fashion fabrics from Gbagi market, some of which can be customized right from the factory to their needs.
6. Zaki Biam yam market, Benue
Benue State of Nigeria is known as the “food basket of the nation,” and this is very true when it comes to yam harvests and sales in the state. Residents of the state say yam is the only product sold in this market, and the state produces an average of 1.5 million tubers of yam annually. This goes to show that the Zaki Biam yam market in Benue State is one of the major sources of yam tubers for Nigerians across the country, apart from other yam markets in northern and eastern parts of the country.
7. Kurmi market, Kano
Dating over 500 years ago to the reign of Mohammed Rumfa in 1463, the Kurmi market in Kano State is one of the oldest markets in the Nigeria. While is it possible to purchase anything from this market, it is largely known for souvenirs such as dyed fabrics, sculptures, carved stones and woods, beaded jewellery, and woven materials which tourists would sure find fascinating. It is also possible to purchase food items and fresh groceries and even live cattle from Kurmi market.
8. Ariaria market, Abia
Ariaria international market in Aba, Abia State is often considered the “China of Africa” because you can get virtually every version of foreign products made in Nigeria and sold in this market. What this means is that local versions of foreign products are produced within the country and sold in this market, from electronics to fabrics to everything in-between. While anyone might be tempted to think that the products sold in this market are cheap and inferior to their foreign counterparts, it will surprise you that these products work nearly well as imported products in terms of performance and longevity.
9. Oil Mill market, Port-Harcourt
The Oil Mill market in Port-Harcourt is also locally known as the Wednesday market because it was originally founded to open only on Wednesdays, but today the growth of people in Rivers State and the need to meet all their requirements have made surrounding markets to merge into this main market, forming a large central market that now opens every day. You can get almost all products from this market, but it is most reputable for local food items among others.
10. Jos main market, Plateau State
The Jos main market in situated in Terminus, the commercial hub of Jos, the capital of Plateau State. This market is well designed to make it easy for customers to find almost everything they want to buy without wasting time, and there are sections for electronics, fabrics, food items, souvenirs, and lots of other desired products.
1. Bodija food market, Ibadan
There are several markets in Ibadan, but Bodija market is most reputable when it comes to fresh and dried food products. Hundreds of trucks and trailers from northern Nigeria converge in Bodija market every week to offload all things food – beans, rice, garri, elubo, groundnuts, dried maize, dried fish, dried meat, food ingredients, yams, pepper, tomatoes, and every kind of food item you can imagine among Yoruba people. Bodija market is in lined stalls, and sections of stalls are dedicated to particular food items; there are stalls for beans, stalls for garri, stalls for yam sellers, stalls for cow sellers, and so on.
2. Computer village, Lagos
The Computer Village in Lagos is the largest computer and electronics market in the southwest of Nigeria. You can find almost any type of computer products and accessories, electronics, DVDs/blue-ray discs, mobile phones, iPads, laptops, and PCs of all brands at the Computer Village. Computer and mobile devices from countries such as the US, China, Japan, and other nations find their ways down to Nigeria via Computer Village in Lagos. Beyond this, computer technicians, software engineers, mobile phone repairers, electronics dealers and all computer experts and businessmen dominate the market. This market can be compared to the Alaba International Market when it comes to computer and electronics products in the country.
3. Onitsha market, Anambra State
Onitsha market in Anambra State is not a market for the Igbo-speaking peoples of Nigeria alone, it is an international market frequented by all Nigerians and Africans in general. This market was very popular in the 1950s due to literature publications, and this evolved to what is known as the Onitsha Market Literature where fledging writers wrote extensively to promote knowledge through books, pamphlets, and novels. But today, Onitsha is largely known for second-hand clothes imported into the country and other sundry items that cater to the needs of the Nigerian masses.
4. Idumota market, Lagos
Idumota is a very popular and busy market in Lagos where you can buy almost anything. But hold on, Idumota has now evolved to become the hub for distributing Nollywood movies and the home of entertainment marketing in Nigeria. You can now get any local or foreign films in Idumota cheaply without any hassles, and you must also be aware that pirated movie copies flood the market to make expensive films cheap and available – something movie actors, producers and the government have been working to clamp down on.
5. Gbagi market, Ibadan
Gbagi market and Aleshinlogy market can be placed almost on the same pedestal when it comes to cloths dealership in Ibadan and the southwest of Nigeria. You can get virtually any types of clothing material in Gbagi market, with newest and latest fashion fabrics offloaded right from textile factories into the market. Whatever the name of the clothing material, you are sure to get it in Gbagi market, and then Aleshiloye market; and community associations, ethnic groups, and whole villages or towns buy desired fashion fabrics from Gbagi market, some of which can be customized right from the factory to their needs.
6. Zaki Biam yam market, Benue
Benue State of Nigeria is known as the “food basket of the nation,” and this is very true when it comes to yam harvests and sales in the state. Residents of the state say yam is the only product sold in this market, and the state produces an average of 1.5 million tubers of yam annually. This goes to show that the Zaki Biam yam market in Benue State is one of the major sources of yam tubers for Nigerians across the country, apart from other yam markets in northern and eastern parts of the country.
7. Kurmi market, Kano
Dating over 500 years ago to the reign of Mohammed Rumfa in 1463, the Kurmi market in Kano State is one of the oldest markets in the Nigeria. While is it possible to purchase anything from this market, it is largely known for souvenirs such as dyed fabrics, sculptures, carved stones and woods, beaded jewellery, and woven materials which tourists would sure find fascinating. It is also possible to purchase food items and fresh groceries and even live cattle from Kurmi market.
8. Ariaria market, Abia
Ariaria international market in Aba, Abia State is often considered the “China of Africa” because you can get virtually every version of foreign products made in Nigeria and sold in this market. What this means is that local versions of foreign products are produced within the country and sold in this market, from electronics to fabrics to everything in-between. While anyone might be tempted to think that the products sold in this market are cheap and inferior to their foreign counterparts, it will surprise you that these products work nearly well as imported products in terms of performance and longevity.
9. Oil Mill market, Port-Harcourt
The Oil Mill market in Port-Harcourt is also locally known as the Wednesday market because it was originally founded to open only on Wednesdays, but today the growth of people in Rivers State and the need to meet all their requirements have made surrounding markets to merge into this main market, forming a large central market that now opens every day. You can get almost all products from this market, but it is most reputable for local food items among others.
10. Jos main market, Plateau State
The Jos main market in situated in Terminus, the commercial hub of Jos, the capital of Plateau State. This market is well designed to make it easy for customers to find almost everything they want to buy without wasting time, and there are sections for electronics, fabrics, food items, souvenirs, and lots of other desired products.
