Initially existing as a remote area, and more like an abandoned space in the Abule-Egba area of Lagos, the trading district known as Katangowa Market has evolved over the years.
Asides the trading of used clothes, bags, and shoes the market is famous for, Katangowa housed a mechanic village and other businesses.
Until the Lagos state government stormed the market with bulldozers for demolition, the market was a destination for many shoppers in and beyond the shores of the state.
When Pulse visited the market on Wednesday, February 12, 2020, it observed that it is no longer business as usual for traders. Serious demolition is ongoing, and some traders who used to sit comfortably in their shops have been left with no choice but to loiter the roadside.
Traders are not the only ones affected. Sadly, some residents whose houses are built-in and around the market have been displaced. .
In a statement obtained by Pulse, the Lagos Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development said the demolition of the Katangowa Market was because of the state government’s plan to relocate the Computer Village from Ikeja.