Computer Village Set for Relocation to Katangowa

Computer Village in Ikeja has long been Nigeria’s busiest hub for electronics, phones, and computer accessories. It is the go-to place for repairs, gadget purchases, and wholesale deals. Now, Lagos State wants to move the entire market to a new site in Katangowa, Agbado-Oke Odo, where an “ICT and Business Park” is being promised.

Why Lagos Wants Computer Village Out of Ikeja

Lagos officials argue that Ikeja was never meant to host a sprawling electronics market. The area is zoned residential, but Computer Village’s explosive growth has created problems:

• Heavy traffic congestion

• Encroachment on roads and drainages

• Sanitation challenges

• Strain on existing infrastructure

Relocation is framed as part of a broader urban renewal effort. By moving traders to Katangowa, the government says it can restore Ikeja to its original purpose while giving businesses a more structured home.

What Katangowa ICT Park Is Supposed to Offer

The new Katangowa site is marketed as more than a relocation, it’s pitched as an upgrade. According to Lagos State plans, the ICT Park will include:

• Purpose-built shops and offices

• Banking halls

• Hotels and recreation centers

• Adequate car parks

• A police post and fire station

• Improved access roads

If delivered, this could transform Computer Village from a chaotic but thriving market into a more formalized tech hub with global appeal.

Delays, Stalled Contracts, and Bare Land

Despite years of announcements, little progress has been made on the ground.

• The relocation plan has been circulating since at least 2017.

• A contract with Bridgeways Global Projects Ltd. to develop the Katangowa site was terminated for non-performance.

• As of mid-2024, the site was largely undeveloped, with no visible signs of the promised facilities.

This history of delays makes traders skeptical. Many see Katangowa as a plan on paper, not a reality.

How Traders Are Responding

Leaders in the market, including the Iyaloja of Computer Village, have publicly welcomed the idea of moving to a better-organized space. On the surface, the prospect of secure, modern facilities is attractive.

But concerns are widespread:

• Customer Reach: Ikeja is central and accessible. Katangowa is further out, and traders fear losing foot traffic.

• Costs of Moving: Who will pay for relocation? Will new shops be affordable or priced beyond small businesses’ reach?

• Business Disruption: Shutting down for even a short period can ruin fragile operations.

• Unclear Tenure: Will traders get legal titles or leases, or remain dependent on landlords?

Until these concerns are addressed, confidence in the project will remain shaky.

The Fate of Ikeja After Relocation

Even if the Katangowa ICT Park becomes a reality, what happens to the Ikeja site is uncertain. Will trading be banned entirely to enforce residential zoning? Or will a “shadow market” persist as enforcement struggles?

The answer matters, because Ikeja’s economy extends far beyond electronics traders. Restaurants, transport operators, and service providers all rely on Computer Village’s daily foot traffic.

What This Means for Lagos Tech and Urban Planning

The relocation plan is more than a market shuffle. It is a test of Lagos’s ability to balance urban planning with economic reality.

If Katangowa lives up to its promise, Lagos could gain a world-class ICT hub that brings legitimacy and growth to Nigeria’s informal tech economy. But if the project stalls, it could leave traders stranded between an unfinished new site and a cracked-down Ikeja market.

Key Issues to Watch

1. Timeline – When will the move actually begin? So far, there are no clear dates.

2. Financing and Costs – How affordable will Katangowa shops be for current traders?

3. Infrastructure Delivery – Will the promised facilities, roads, security, utilities materialize before relocation?

4. Trader Compensation – Will businesses get financial support, or be left to fend for themselves?

5. Enforcement in Ikeja – How strictly will Lagos enforce zoning laws once traders are asked to leave?

Computer Village has survived and grown for decades precisely because it adapts to Lagos’s chaos. Relocating it to Katangowa could either formalize that growth or cut into its lifeblood.

The government’s promises sound ambitious. But until bulldozers move and real facilities rise, traders and customers remain right to ask: is this the beginning of a new era for Nigeria’s tech market, or another cycle of plans that never leave the drawing board?