- 45,000 shops reopen at Onitsha Main Market on Mondays
- Over 62 criminal camps dismantled across Anambra
- Markets and schools resume full Monday activities
- Investor confidence improves as security stabilises
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has revealed that the suspension of the sit-at-home order in the South-East is already driving economic recovery, with over 45,000 shops reopening for business every Monday at the Onitsha Main Market, following improved security across the state.
Governor Soludo made this known while speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He described the renewed economic activity as a major turning point for Anambra and the wider South-East region.
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According to the governor, the progress recorded so far is the result of sustained security operationscarried out by his administration, which have led to the dismantling of more than 62 criminal campsacross different parts of the state.
“What we are seeing now is the outcome of deliberate and coordinated security efforts. People are returning to work, markets are alive again, and confidence is gradually being restored,” Soludo said.
He explained that the weekly sit-at-home order, imposed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, had over the years caused severe economic damage, forcing businesses to shut down and discouraging investors from operating in the region.
Soludo noted that the losses went beyond daily income, stressing that every missed Monday amounted to nearly 20 per cent of weekly productivity, especially for informal traders and schools that operate six days a week.
The governor highlighted Onitsha Main Market, one of the largest markets in West Africa, as a clear example of the recovery, saying traders now troop out in large numbers on Mondays, creating an atmosphere of relief and celebration.
He added that his government had moved early to reinforce community-based security, including the establishment of the Agụnechemba vigilante outfit, alongside anti-cultism and anti-touting task forces.
“The collaboration among these security groups has significantly reduced criminal activities and restored public confidence,” he stated.
Soludo also disclosed that the state government has begun plans to regenerate the Onitsha Main Market, including reclaiming parking spaces converted into stalls and repositioning the market as a leading commercial hub in the sub-region