Anambra Demolitions: Order Versus Livelihoods

By IFEOMA IZUCHUKWU

Crackdown on Illegal Structures Begins

TEARS and appeals for assistance accompanied a fresh demolition exercise in parts of Anambra State as the government intensified enforcement against structures it described as illegal or unauthorised.

The operation, which began on Friday 18 September, targeted shops and buildings in Nawfia, Abagana and Onitsha. Officials of the State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, supported by security personnel, deployed bulldozers and other heavy-duty equipment to remove structures erected on sidewalks, open spaces, access roads and areas previously designated as motor parks.

The exercise covered Afor Market in Nawfia and Oye Agu Market in Abagana, both in Njikoka Local Council, before extending to Odoakpu and Trans Nkisi Layout in Onitsha.

At Odoakpu, officials demolished a three-storey building reportedly constructed on an access road without the required setback. At Trans Nkisi Layout, another structure said to have been intended as a security house was removed because authorities alleged that it obstructed access to residential buildings.

Government Defends Enforcement

The Head of Development Control in the ministry, Ngozi Okwudili, who led the enforcement team, said the affected developers had received repeated notices before the demolitions.

According to her, the government was enforcing existing physical-planning regulations rather than embarking on arbitrary demolitions.

One of the structures at Afor Market, Nawfia, was pulled down because its building plan allegedly failed to provide adequate parking space. Okwudili said developers were required to allocate at least 45 per cent of the built-up area for parking.

At Oye Agu Market, the ministry alleged that a plaza had been constructed without the required approval.

Okwudili said the enforcement campaign would continue across the state, urging residents to obtain building approvals before commencing construction.

Traders Count Their Losses

For affected traders, however, the government’s planning argument offered little comfort as demolished structures represented both financial investments and sources of livelihood.

Nneka Chidumeme, who sells baby items at Oye Agu Market, said she had only rented her shop on 28 August. She said she exhausted her savings and borrowed from friends, relatives and cooperative groups to secure the premises.

Chidumeme had hoped to recover her investment during the busy Christmas shopping period. Instead, the demolition left her seeking assistance from the government.

She appealed for support for affected traders, particularly because of the economic hardship confronting many businesses. She also called on Nonye Soludo, the governor’s wife, to intervene.

Gloria Nwafor, another trader at Afor Market, said the small shop she shared with one of her daughters was the family’s means of survival after the death of her husband.

The demolition, she said, could leave them without the money needed to secure another shop.

Planning Enforcement & Human Cost

The Anambra exercise highlights the difficult balance between urban regulation and economic survival.

Government authorities argue that unapproved construction can obstruct roads, undermine safety and create disorder. Traders, meanwhile, face immediate financial losses when businesses operating from such structures are removed.

The government has maintained that enforcement will continue and has urged prospective developers to seek approval before investing in construction.

For affected traders, however, the immediate concern is what comes after the bulldozers leave: how to replace lost businesses, recover investments and rebuild livelihoods.