Lagos Trade Fair Market Traders Protest Hike in Shop Rents, Agency Fees

Angry traders at the Trade Fair International Market, Lagos State, on Monday shut down the market in protest against what they described as frustrating hike in shop rents and exploitative agent fees in the market. 

The protesters marched en masse around the market, chanting solidarity songs, demanding that their shop landlords take immediate actions to reduce the rent they are being charged for shops. 

In a protest video making the rounds on social media where the President of Balogun Traders Association addressed the protesters, the aggrieved traders demanded that they no longer want agents in the market. 

Speaking in Igbo language in one of the videos, one of the protesters said, “We say no to agents. Agents have killed us in this market. This is our situation this morning, September 29, 2025. The whole market has been closed down.” 

In the video, the President of the market could be heard saying, “Starting from January we will have ID cards.”

For balogun clusters. Shop rent is #5m while attachments are now 2.5 m…. Then agents and agreement is #2m no reduction, so how can a young new NWA boy wey dem settle with #3m wan take start life .. That’s why the youths are protesting today “ 

Speaking further, the protester who recorded the video said, “Agents have killed us in this market. A shop.is paying N500,000, an agent will go behind and bring an unknown person to rent the same shop N2million. 

“They will tell the person occupying the shop to either pay N2million or vacate the shop for another person to take over. The whole youths at Balogun market have said no to agents. 

“Anything concerning agents is no longer needed at Balogun market. Unfortunately, these are Igbo agents. 

“A newly settled apprentice will be paying N500,000 for a shop, then agents will bring somebody from nowhere and chase out the struggling young man unless he can pay N3 million or N4 million. 

“Any agent found in Balogun market, his name will become sorry. The whole youths at Balogun market are very angry.” 

An X (formerly Twitter) user, @bubucomedy_ who posted an- other video of the protest wrote, “For Balogun Clusters, shop rent is N5 million while attachments is now N2.5 million. 

“Then agents and agreement is N2 million no reduction. So, how can a young new nwa boi (an apprentice) who has just been settled with N3 million start life? That’s why the youths are protesting today.”