ABUJA, Nigeria — Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, delivered an unequivocal message to street vendors and local authorities in the capital city on Tuesday, August 22, 2023: The streets of Abuja are not open for business, at least not the informal kind.
During a meeting with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, and Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, the Minister cited security concerns as the principal reason for banning all forms of street vending, including the sale of corn by roadside vendors.
“Street trading is prohibited,” Wike declared. “People selling corn will drop their waste indiscriminately, and these are the things that cause insecurity. Criminals come to buy and use the opportunity to spy and give information to criminals. We must clear street hawkers.”
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, was emphatic in his message, stating that this was part of a broader initiative to restore Abuja to its intended state.
“The important thing we must do is to ensure that Abuja is back to what it ought to be,” he said. “I moved around Abuja and found out there is total darkness in most of the places.”
The Minister elaborated on the need to bring back proper lighting to public places, urging all involved agencies to prioritize restoring electricity.
“We need to ensure light comes back as soon as possible,” he stated.
Wike didn’t just stop at banning street vendors; he also mandated an immediate cleanup of the capital.
“If you are in charge of sanitation, I will call you at any time of the day,” he warned, adding that he wouldn’t hesitate to remove any official who fails to meet his exacting standards of cleanliness.
The Minister also raised concerns about the prevalence of illegal motor parks and unauthorized structures across the city. “Motor parks will not be allowed to operate in unauthorized areas,” Wike said.
“Development control is a serious crisis area we have to stop. Why are there illegal structures and shanties everywhere? We will demolish any illegal structure. No matter how highly placed, the structure will come down.”
The dramatic steps to outlaw street vending and unauthorized structures will spark debate.
While some may view the crackdown as necessary to bolster security, critics argue that it imperils the livelihoods of the city’s most economically vulnerable residents.
As the sun sets on the informal economy of Abuja, the city awaits to see if Wike’s measures will bring the desired “light” and security, or if they will cast a longer, more troubling shadow on a population already grappling with various challenges.
