Traders Protest Soaring Rents And Agent Exploitation, Demand Immediate Action
By Musiliu Opeyemi
On Monday, outraged traders at the Trade Fair International Market in Lagos State orchestrated a shutdown of the market, voicing their discontent over soaring shop rents and exploitative agent fees that have made operations increasingly untenable.
The demonstrators took to the streets in a unified march around the marketplace, chanting solidarity slogans and calling for immediate intervention from shop landlords to alleviate the exorbitant rental costs.
Footage circulating on social media captured the President of the Balogun Traders Association addressing the protesting crowd, during which the traders reiterated their demand for the removal of market agents entirely. One protester, speaking in Igbo, expressed their frustration: “We say no to agents. Agents have devastated us in this market. This is our situation this morning, September 29, 2025. The entire market is shut down.”
In the video, the president highlighted upcoming policies, stating, “Starting from January, we will have ID cards.”
Another protestor detailed the plight faced by shop occupants, revealing that while a shop’s rent is set at N500,000, agents often enlist unknown individuals to sublet the same space for exorbitant fees of up to N2 million. “They pressure existing tenants to either pay these inflated amounts or vacate for someone else,” he lamented.
The sentiment was echoed throughout the protest as the recording captured a poignant moment when the speaker condemned the actions of agents: “Any agent found in Balogun market will face the consequences. The youth here are demanding change.”
Additional commentary from social media highlighted escalating rent costs, with one user, @bubucomedy_, asserting that “for Balogun Clusters, shop rent is now N5 million and supplementary attachments are N2.5 million, while agent fees alone amount to N2 million without negotiation. How can a young apprentice, who starts with N3 million, possibly make a living under these conditions?”
The protest underscores a critical moment for the traders, as they demand fair treatment and reconsideration of market practices that many perceive as exploitative.
