From Ashes to Struggles: Inside the Unending Plight of Aleshinloye Market Traders

It’s another sunny day, and the struggle continues for Rukayat. It was not a struggle anyone would wish for, but it was not an option of choice. Her store was one of the several plastic shops reduced to ashes months ago in the fire that razed the Aleshinloye market in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria.

While the incident seems to be in the past, it still remains evergreen to the victims. For instance, Rukayat now trades in one of the corners of the market, as some of her goods are displayed in the open by the roadside for passers-by and her customers to easily locate her, while the rest are kept in her friend’s shop within the market.

“All our shops got burnt, all the goods… It really hasn’t been easy for us. Oftentimes, I have to go to the shop where we keep all our goods whenever customers ask for what is not displayed; it’s been a lot of stress. We cannot buy so many goods anymore like before, because there’s no space to even store them,’’ Rukayat told CAMPUS REPORTER.

During the fire incident in March, goods worth millions of naira were damaged. On a visit to Aleshinloye market recently, our reporter witnessed how people seemed to have adjusted to other survival methods. While it seemed like many had adjusted to a new life that began overnight, they are deeply hurt inside, with nights of silent cries, emotional disorder, and the daily struggles they face, hoping for better days.

Story of hope

Rukayat’s story is not hers alone. Across the sprawling market grounds and corners, the plastic traders are rebuilding their livelihoods piece by piece. ‘Life continues,’ they say. 

But the struggles that come with having to continue regardless are overwhelming, especially when there’s no support or hope of a better tomorrow. Some borrowed from relatives, while others had to move their goods to street corners or share cramped stalls. Some have even stopped selling in the market, while some others are challenged with their health from not having recovered from the shock of the incident. 

On her part, Rukayat said many traders are supported by family, friends, well-wishers, and some religious bodies who have been the backbone of most people who continued with their business after the incident.

“The plastic companies have also been supportive; they allow us to buy on credit. The palliative the government also promised to give us has also helped some of us to rise on our feet again. However, I still have to borrow because it’s not sufficient to make up for the goods that got burnt,” she added.

Many traders including Rukayat told this reporter that they got 250,000 naira palliatives from the Oyo State Government in July. While the affected shops are being rebuilt by state authorities, “we were asked to pay to get our shops back,” Rukayat mentioned.

Long road to recovery

Another trader who simply identified herself as Faith explained that calculating the exact value of her losses is difficult, but it’s a substantial amount. She typically operates on loans, and many of the goods lost were unpaid for, adding to her financial strain. Despite this, her suppliers have been understanding, offering flexible payment arrangements to help her recover.

“We normally take loans to do this business; many of these goods were also unpaid for, and we lost so much already. But our suppliers have been supportive by giving more time and paying in bits,” Faith said. 

Traders also expressed concerns that the fire station around the axis is ill-equipped to handle emergencies, lacking essential resources like water, as they often rely on buckets to fetch water from wells, highlighting the need for better firefighting capabilities. In the absence of adequate support, they’re putting their trust in divine protection to prevent future incidents.

Sola Akorede, the secretary of the Association of Plastic Traders in the market, who happens to also be a victim, expressed the current challenges facing plastic traders in the market. She acknowledged the estimated number of traders that were affected by the incident to be “about 100 traders and 300 shops that got razed.”

When asked about the association’s contribution to the affected traders,  she said “the association couldn’t do much as of then, but we gave consolatory words through engagements and assurances, urging them to take heart. We also urged those whose shops and goods were not affected to assist in accommodating and enduring with them. We don’t have much in our purse that we could give in assisting because it’s nothing compared to the losses from the incident.”

Rebuilding woes

Six months after the incident, the market women are now worried about the rebuilding of their shops, as the government is offering them at prices they’re unable to afford. Initially, when the market burned down, the government promised to rebuild the shops after the traders requested to do it themselves. 

However, the traders were shocked to receive offer letters stating the shops would cost ₦19.5 million for a 22 sqm shop and ₦26.5 million for a 30 sqm shop, far exceeding their means.

Meanwhile, CAMPUS REPORTERS’ efforts to get a response from the Oyo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters handling the market situation was abortive as Ademola Ojo, Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters is yet to respond enquiries sent to him.