Gaseous emission emanating from hundreds of small generators envelop the atmosphere, polluting the air, contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer. Deafening noise from the generators pollute the ambience unabated. The environment is unkempt with filth in every nook and cranny. Squatters have converted makeshift structures into their permanent abode.
This is Alade Market located at the heart of Ikeja, capital of Lagos State, and the third largest mega city in the world. The situation at this market is very sad. Traders have resisted several attempts by the Ikeja Local Government to rebuild the market to befit the mega city status accorded Lagos. The market sits at the hub and commercial centre of Lagos. An aerial view of the market depicts the opposite of what a modern market in the hub of Lagos should be.
A front view of the market portrays a repulsive image. Some metres away, the frontage is always messy irrespective of time one visits the market. Vehicles are often park just about anywhere creating undue congestion just before Allen roundabout. This is not because the market does not have parking lots of its own, but the parking lots have been illegally converted into shops.
Investigation revealed that there are over 200 illegal shops all over the place, apart from about 300 shops that were legally constructed. In April, 2013, a fire gutted the market, compromising the structural integrity of many structures in the market, according to a test carried out by the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
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