Anambra Loses ₦8 Billion Every Monday to Sit-at-Home, Commissioner Says
The Anambra State Government says the economy is haemorrhaging billions of naira every Monday due to the continued observance of the sit-at-home order, a practice long associated with separatist pressure tactics in the South-East region of Nigeria.
State Commissioner for Information Law Mefoh told Channels Television’s The Morning Brief that Anambra loses about ₦8 billion every Monday the popular markets remain shut and economic activity stalls. The remarks followed the government’s decision to shut down the Onitsha Main Market for one week after traders failed to open their shops on the most recent Monday.
Mefoh explained that while fear of violence once drove market closures, security has now improved, and the continued shutdowns have evolved into what he described as traders treating Mondays like extended weekends. He said this behaviour is harming the economic life of the state and disrupting livelihoods.
“The statistics have it that Anambra is losing an average of ₦8 billion every Monday that the market is shut,” Mefoh said, stressing that the government has a responsibility to ensure the economy continues to run.
The government has stepped up enforcement actions in a bid to end the practice, including deploying security personnel and imposing sanctions on traders and markets that defy directives to resume business. Authorities have also warned that other markets will face similar closures if they fail to operate on Mondays.
The sit-at-home order’s origins trace back several years, when non-state actors issued directives intended to pressure federal authorities. While some groups have declared the order suspended in the past, many residents continue to comply — largely out of lingering fear of reprisals — resulting in repeated Monday shutdowns across the region.
The financial losses extend beyond Anambra, with estimates suggesting the broader South-East region loses about ₦19.6 billion each week due to the sit-at-home order’s impact on trade, transport and public services.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo and state lawmakers have defended the stringent measures, arguing that enforcing normal business activity is essential to restoring economic stability and ending what they call “economic sabotage.” Critics, including some market leaders and civil society voices, have expressed frustration at the closures, while others back the government’s efforts to end disruptions.
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