Business
Traders Decry Poor Patronage Over Bad Road
Some traders at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex have expressed concern over the inaccessibility of the road that leads to the consortium of markets located within the Lagos Trade Fair Complex.
The traders, in interviews with The Tide’s source said the poor state of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway that leads to the market had made buyers to avoid the complex.
Reports say that the road which has been under construction since 2006, has been abandoned since four years ago, thereby making people go through enormous difficulties coming to the market.
The President, Balogun Business Association (BBA), one of the markets located in the Mr Tony Obi complex, said that the condition of the access road has made coming to the market a nightmare.
“The worst is that the entrance to the market from the road has become so bad that articulated vehicles, laden with goods constantly fall there because of potholes and gullies.
“Customers now rarely come to the market. Since the rains began, we have not been making sales, customers don’t patronise us again and this is worrisome.
“We are appealing to both the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government to do something about the road to enable us continue to be able to earn a living,” Obi said.
A dry fish importer, Mrs Nkechi Akanwa, said that her last stock of one hundred and thirty cartons lasted for two months with most of it getting spoilt.
According to Akanwa, if there is patronage such a stock will ordinarily not last up to two weeks in her shop and it will all be sold.
“I have customers that come from Ghana and other neighbouring countries to purchase goods from me, but for some time now, they have stopped coming, even the ones from within the country are no le onger coming too,” he said.
The fish merchant, who attributed the low patronage to the bad state of the road, said that if the situation should continue, the traders would not be able to pay for shop rates and cater for their immediate responsibilities.
She called on the management of the Trade Fair Complex to provide palliatives at the entrance of the market, to assist vehicles owners coming to the market.
According to reports, reports that the newly inaugurated Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has assured Lagos residents that rehabilitation work would commence on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, from Mazamaza to Okokomaiko this month.
The governor, announced this during an inspection visit to the Expressway, last week.
“We will ensure that we firm up discussions with the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) and they are able to move back to site, because work has been abandoned here for almost four years,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu noted that despite the completion of the highway from the National Theatre to Mazamaza, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and misuse of the road by traders, have made the route impassable.
He assured that a massive clean-up would take place in the following weeks. “We started the journey from Orile-Iganmu through Mazamaza, and finally here at the Trade Fair.
“The road from National Arts Theatre up to Mazamaza has actually been done, he said.
The governor expressed regret that the heaps of refuse littering the area had made it difficult to appreciate what had been done.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said 33 banks have met new minimum capital requirements under its recapitalisation programme, raising a combined N4.65 trillion to strengthen the financial system.
The apex bank disclosed this in a statement marking the end of the exercise, which commenced in March 2024 and drew participation from domestic and foreign investors.
The statement was jointly signed by the Director of Banking Supervision, Olubukola Akinwunmi, and the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali.
The statement said “Over the 24-month period, Nigerian banks raised a total of N4.65tn in new capital, strengthening the resilience of the financial system and enhancing its capacity to support the economy.”
The regulator said local investors accounted for 72.55 per cent of the funds, while international investors contributed 27.45 per cent, reflecting continued confidence in the sector.
Commenting on the outcome, the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, said in the statement, “The recapitalisation programme has strengthened the capital base of Nigerian banks, reinforcing the resilience of the financial system and ensuring it is well-positioned to support economic growth and withstand domestic and external shocks.”
It added that while 33 banks have complied with the new thresholds, a few others are still undergoing regulatory and legal processes.
The statement noted, “The CBN confirms that 33 banks have met the revised minimum capital requirements established under the programme.
“A limited number of institutions remain subject to ongoing regulatory and judicial processes, which are being addressed through established supervisory and legal frameworks.
“All banks remain fully operational, ensuring continued access to banking services for customers.”
The apex bank stressed that the exercise was executed without disrupting banking operations, ensuring uninterrupted access to services nationwide.
It further stated that key prudential indicators have improved, particularly capital adequacy ratios, which remain above global Basel benchmarks.
The minimum ratios were set at 10 per cent for regional and national banks and 15 per cent for banks with international licences.
The bank also said the recapitalisation coincided with a gradual exit from regulatory forbearance, a move it said improved asset quality, strengthened balance sheet transparency, and enhanced overall stability.
To preserve these gains, the CBN said it has reinforced its risk-based supervision framework, mandating periodic stress tests and adequate capital buffers for banks.
It added that supervisory and prudential guidelines would be reviewed regularly to strengthen governance, risk management, and resilience across the sector.
“The successful completion of the programme establishes a stronger and more resilient banking system, better positioned to support lending, mobilise savings, and withstand domestic and global shocks,” the statement said.
The Tide learnt that foreign capital inflows into Nigeria’s banking sector rose by 93.25 per cent year-on-year to $13.53bn in 2025, up from $7.00bn recorded in 2024, amid the ongoing recapitalisation drive by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics capital importation report showed that the banking sector remained the dominant destination for foreign capital, accounting for $13.53bn of the total $23.22bn recorded in 2025, representing 58.26 per cent of total inflows, up from 56.81 per cent in 2024.
The surge reflects heightened investor interest in Nigerian banks as they raised fresh capital to meet new regulatory thresholds introduced by the apex bank, with industry-wide recapitalisation activities driving large-scale inflows across all quarters of the year.
However, the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) recently raised concerns over weak credit flows to small businesses despite recent banking sector reforms.
The CPPE, led by a renowned economist, Dr Muda Yusuf, acknowledged that the ongoing bank recapitalisation exercise by the CBN has strengthened the financial system, but warned that the benefits have yet to translate into meaningful support for the real economy.
The facility will be disbursed through participating Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), which will in turn extend the loans to their customers, particularly SMEs, as they directly interface with businesses at the grassroots level.
The Executive Director of COMCIN, Mr. Micheal Ogbaa who represented the Chairman, Dr. Iredele Oyedele (FCA, FCCA), said the initiative is designed to strengthen micro-lending institutions and expand access to finance for grassroots entrepreneurs, particularly women and youths in the informal sector.
Ogbaa explained that COMCIN does not lend directly to individuals but works through its network of microfinance and cooperative institutions, which in turn provide loans to end users.
“We came together to advocate for the microfinance ecosystem. Commercial banks often exclude people at the grassroots, but our members are positioned to reach them. This facility will empower them to do more,” he said.
He noted that the loan scheme offers low interest rates and flexible repayment plans, making it more accessible to small business owners.
According to him, about 90 percent of beneficiaries are expected to be women, who play a key role in sustaining families and driving economic activities at the local level.
“Our focus is on traders, service providers, and players in the informal sector. These are the real movers of the economy. By supporting them, we are strengthening families and contributing to national development,” he added.
Ogbaa disclosed that eligible SMEs with proven integrity and business track records could access up to N5 million each through participating micro-lending institutions. The rollout has commenced in Lagos and will extend to Abuja, Enugu, and other regions, including the South-West, South-East, and North-East.
He said 12 micro-lending institutions have already benefited from the scheme, while 85 applications are currently being processed under the pilot phase.
“Our target is to reach at least 100,000 SMEs nationwide. We are building a platform that connects funding partners with credible micro-lending institutions, creating a reliable channel for financial inclusion,” Ogbaa said.
He added that COMCIN is also working to attract larger funding pools from development finance institutions and private investors, noting that successful implementation of the pilot phase would boost confidence and unlock more capital for SMEs.
“We have seen encouraging testimonies from early beneficiaries. As we demonstrate transparency and efficiency, more institutions will be willing to channel funds through us,” he said.
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