Following the alleged assaults on traders of northern extraction during the demolition of the Alaba Rago market, the youths from the region have threatened to block the food supply to Lagos State and other southern states over the conduct against them.
They stated that this would only be prevented if the Lagos State Government failed to yield to their four demands, including the protection of northern traders operating across markets in the state.
The youths, under the aegis of the Northern Youth Peace and Reconciliation Initiative of Nigeria, requested that security within the markets dominated by traders from the region should be strengthened to prevent further violence.
Aside from that, the young men and women added that those behind the Alaba Rago market attack should be investigated and prosecuted alongside compensation packages to assist victims in rebuilding their businesses.
According to them, the government should institute a framework to prevent harassment, discrimination, and deliberate destruction of goods belonging to northern merchants.
“Also, introduce welfare packages and economic empowerment schemes to sustain traders’ contributions to Lagos’ prosperity”, they added.
This is contained in an open letter addressed to the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, describing the attacks as “unprovoked and deeply troubling,” stressing that Northern traders form a crucial part of Nigeria’s economic fabric
The group’s National Chairman, Lawan Uba, noted that their contributions through commerce, trade, and tax revenues have remained indispensable to Lagos’ growth and Nigeria’s wider economy.
Uba lamented that the destruction of livelihoods was not just an assault on individual traders but also a blow to national economic stability.
“The continued harassment, insecurity, and unfair treatment of traders in Lagos threatens not only the livelihood of Northerners but the overall national economy,” Uba stated.
Uba warned that failure to address the plight of the traders could disrupt the flow of essential commodities from the North to Lagos and other southern states, potentially straining inter-regional trade relations.
He further emphasized that Nigeria’s unity rests on the economic interdependence of its regions, noting that protecting traders in Lagos was as much about defending human rights as it was about safeguarding national cohesion.
Despite the tension, the group expressed confidence in the Lagos State Government’s capacity to act decisively, urging Governor Sanwo-Olu to make the protection of all traders—irrespective of ethnicity or religion—a benchmark for inclusive governance.
“With the right support and protection, Northern traders will continue to thrive in Lagos, boosting commerce, strengthening unity, and setting a model for other states to follow,” the statement concluded.
