Get Guardian on GoogleThe Oyo State Government has handed over 88 newly reconstructed shops to traders affected by the fire outbreak at Alesinloye Market, Ibadan, fulfilling Governor Seyi Makinde’s promise to restore their businesses at no cost.
The Executive Chairman of Ibadan South-West Local Government, Hon. Kehinde Akande, performed the handover on Wednesday on behalf of the governor.
Akande said the exercise fulfilled the commitment made by Makinde during his visit to the market following the fire outbreak, which destroyed several shops and goods worth millions of naira in the plastic and rubber section.
Speaking at the ceremony, he recalled that the governor had promised to reconstruct the affected shops and return them to the traders free of charge.
“If we can all recall, a few months ago there was a fire outbreak at Alesinloye Market. We came here to sympathise with the victims and assure them that the government would reconstruct the affected section of the market.
“Our governor, as we all know, is a man of the people. Whenever anything happens in the state, he is always present. He promised that the shops would be rebuilt and handed back to the victims free of charge, and that is what we are doing today,” he said.
In a statement issued by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olarenwaju, Akande described the handover as a significant milestone for the market community.
He said the reconstructed section had been better organised, with improved access roads to make the shops safer and easier for traders and customers to navigate.
The council chairman also announced measures to prevent a recurrence of the incident, including plans to rebuild the market’s fire station and permanently deploy local government safety officers to monitor compliance with safety regulations.
He disclosed that the state government had earlier paid each affected trader ₦250,000 as immediate relief to cushion the impact of the losses.
“When the incident happened, both state and local government officials visited the market to sympathise with the traders. After the Deputy Governor’s visit, the Governor himself came here and immediately approved the payment of ₦250,000 to each affected trader to help alleviate their losses,” he said.
A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, described the handover as another demonstration of Makinde’s commitment to fulfilling his promises.
He urged the beneficiaries to maintain the facilities and use them responsibly, adding that the 88 shops corresponded with the number of traders on the verified list compiled after the fire outbreak.
Speaking on behalf of the traders, Alhaja Taiwo Sekinat Bisola, who represented the Babaloja of Alesinloye Market, thanked the state government for the intervention.
She described the gesture as a major relief that had restored the affected traders’ means of livelihood and urged the beneficiaries to maintain the shops and observe safety measures.
The fire broke out in the early hours of March 11, 2026, in the plastic and rubber section of Alesinloye Market, destroying shops and goods worth millions of naira.
