Iyaloja: Computer Village Is An International ICT Market – Business Owners Maintain

MICHAEL AKINOLA

Reactions have continued to trail the purported attempts by some leaders of the Community Development Association domiciled within the largest ICT market in Africa (Computer Village, Ikeja) to make incursions into the setting of the international market by creating the office of an ‘Iyaloja’ which means mother of the market.

P.M.EXPRESS findings showed that the recent attempts were initially heard as rumours by the business owners but the body language of the people said to be behind the idea had shown that that they were making moves to actualize it.

P.M.EXPRESS correspondent spoke with some business owners on the purported attempts and they bared their minds on the issue. In chat with Mrs. Sekinat Adeyemi, the CEO of Seka Computers Limited, she bluntly said that those behind the idea may only be looking for avenues to make money from the market. She said that she was born in Ibadan and had known that the concept of Iyaloja was limited to the Yoruba markets especially the King’s markets known as Oja-Oba and that the King usually singlehandedly appoints who acts in such capacity. Mrs. Adeyemi said that it was wrong for any group of persons to try to disturb the relative peace in the market with such introduction.

Another business owner, Mr. Kazeem Babalola, the MD/CEO of Kay Accessories, said that the move may have been for selfish reasons and control from certain quarters. Like Mrs. Adeyemi, he equally said that the Iyaloja idea is limited to the various Yoruba markets across the Yoruba states and those located outside Yoruba land. Mr. Kazeem maintained that Computer Village is an international market having people of different ethnic nationalities and foreigners and so does not fall within the frame of market for such.

For another business owner, Mr. Chukwuka Okafor, the MD of C.O. Gadgets Limited, he said that he first heard about the Iyaloja idea while growing up in Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre in Anambra State. He said the Iyaloja there was the one in charge of the Yoruba market located around the Marine Road, Ose Okwodu Market (democratically chosen by her constituents) while the Hausa stock had theirs around the Kano Street axis of the town but were all members of the Onitsha Amalgamated Traders Association. Mr. Okafor said the responsibilities of the aforementioned never clashed and there was peace. He wondered why some people may want to bring the Iyaloja idea into an international market while it is not an exclusive Yoruba market. He said those behind the idea must have sinister plans and it must be rejected.

Fatai Amao, a technician, said he was born and raised in Ogun State and had always known that the Babaloja and Iyaloja idea is for the traditional Yoruba market setting and should not be stretched beyond that. He jokingly said, “We don’t deal on tomatoes and crayfish! This is Computer Village!” He said that behind the idea must be people who do not have businesses within the market but hope to wield some form of control by proxy through such introduction.

P.M.EXPRESS correspondent visited the secretariat of the Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria, CAPDAN, to get their comments but the lady met there said that the President of the association was not around and she was not in the position to speak.