The bustling markets of Ogun State are the backbone of the state’s economy. Every day, thousands of traders provide goods and services that keep households running. Yet, these same traders are drowning under pressures that threaten their survival and the welfare of consumers.
Inflation, declining purchasing power, and rising operating costs have already made doing business difficult. To make matters worse, traders now face a maze of tickets, levies, space charges, taxes, and other payments. What should be a straightforward process of revenue collection has become a system of exploitation.
The absence of clear regulation and government oversight has given room for corruption. Multiple agencies, and in many cases unauthorized touts, move through markets collecting fees without receipts or accountability. This has led to widespread extortion, intimidation, and harassment of marketers. The result is simple; reduced profits for traders, higher prices for consumers, and increased hardship for families already struggling with the cost of living.
This is where the *Ogun State Government and the National Union of Marketers, Traders and Employers of Nigeria, NUMTEN,* must step in.
Government has the responsibility to protect its citizens and create an enabling environment for business. If it really meant the promulgation that only 2 forms of tickets should be levied, the development and environmental tickets, we should also witness the government acts its words. It also means enforcing accountability, so that only authorized persons collect levies, and every payment is properly receipted and tracked. Without this, extortion will continue to thrive under the guise of “government or fictitious revenue.”
*NUMTEN;* As the umbrella body for traders and market employers, has a duty to defend its members. The union must engage the government on policy, educate traders on their rights, and set up mechanisms to report cases of harassment and illegal collections. A strong NUMTEN will give traders a collective voice and shield them from exploitation.
This really matters to consumers.When traders are overburdened, consumers pay the price. Multiple levies are passed on as higher prices for food, clothing, and basic goods. If nothing is done, we risk more business closures, job losses, and deeper poverty across the state.
The time to act is now. The *Ogun State Government* must demonstrate political will by sanitizing revenue collection in our markets. *NUMTEN* must stand up and be the voice of traders on the ground. Together, they can end the cycle of multiple levies, extortion, and intimidation.
Rescuing traders is rescuing consumers. And rescuing both is rescuing the economy of Ogun State.
*Admorak Abdul Lateef writes from Ifo LGA*
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