A Year After the Clampdown, Jos Traders Still Count Their Losses

— Peace Isama

Every morning at the crack of dawn, Roseline Ndugwe would arrive at her usual spot near the bustling Jos Main Market, mostly known as Terminus Market, in the Plateau State capital. With a steaming cooler of okpa and the familiar rhythm of foot traffic, the 55-year-old mother of five knew she wouldn’t return home with leftovers.

“I used to sell over a hundred wraps before 11 a.m.,” she says. “Sometimes, customers would be waiting even before I got there.”

From daily earnings of at least ₦60,000, Roseline fed her family, contributed to her weekly adashi (a local savings scheme), and covered her children’s school fees without breaking a sweat. Her roadside stall, which is made up of a stool, a tray, and an umbrella, as modest as it was, had become her lifeline.

But all that changed in March 2024 when the Plateau State government enforced Executive Order 003 — a sweeping urban regulation intended to restore order to Jos’ chaotic streets. The order banned the indiscriminate display of goods along roadsides and forced informal traders like Roseline off the pavements they had depended on for decades.

Now relocated to a quiet corner beside a bank, Roseline watches as foot traffic dwindles and sales plummet. “Nobody sees me here,” she laments, her voice heavy with resignation. “Before, I sold everything. Now, I come home with half my okpa still in the cooler.”

Her daily income has dropped significantly, making it difficult for her to sustain her family. “Everyone is just managing now because things are hard,” she adds. “We used to cook one mudu of rice when it was the meal of the day, but now we only manage half. The price has gone up—from ₦1,200 or ₦1,500 to ₦1,700 or ₦2,000.”

Still, Roseline remains resolute. “What they’re doing is good,” she admits. “I don’t blame them. They’re doing the right thing.”

The rise of the indiscriminate display of goods and wares along the roadside became a trend after an inferno wrecked the Jos main market in 2002, claiming goods worth millions of naira and leaving the market a shadow of its former glory. With no proper alternatives provided for many of the displaced traders, informal roadside vending quickly became the norm.

What began as a coping mechanism for survival evolved into a booming informal economy, sprawling across major intersections and public walkways in the city centre. The disorder, while beneficial to vendors, soon drew criticism for fuelling congestion, obstructing pedestrian traffic, and endangering lives.

Roseline is not alone; hundreds of traders have been affected. JoeyOffAir also spoke to Ibrahim Isah, a shoe seller who had spent over a decade along the roadside before being forced to relocate.

“Before, I made ₦10,000 a day, sometimes more. Now, it’s a struggle to even make ₦1,000,” he said. Since vacating the roadside, Ibrahim has faced the uphill task of rebuilding a customer base in a market reshaped by regulations. His troubles, however, didn’t end there.

“I had three shops. All of them were burnt to ashes,” he explained, referring to the fire that broke out at midnight on April 30, razing a section of the main market where many traders had resettled. They returned to the streets but were chased away a few days later. 

“Now I have to take my goods home every day and bring them back in the morning. I have nowhere to keep them,” his voice trembled as he spoke, eyes clouded with exhaustion.

Despite his losses, Ibrahim recognises the government’s intent. “They’re trying their best,” he said, before pausing. “But a man with a family cannot continue to live like this.”

Tyem Timchang, Secretary of the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) task force, told JoeyOffAir that the objective of Executive Order 003 is not just to clear the streets, but also to enhance the city’s aesthetics, decongest traffic, and ensure the proper erection of structures.

“The order is helping vendors return to the market, which will foster healthy competition,” he said.

He acknowledged that while some traders had complied, others remained defiant. “But now, they are beginning to secure legal spaces for themselves due to enforcement,” he added.

Ibrahim Suleman, a market leader who spoke to JoeyOffAir on behalf of the chairperson of the market association, confirmed the traders’ reluctant acceptance. “Traders obeyed the order wholeheartedly,” he said, but urged the government to speed up the reconstruction of the shops destroyed in the April fire.

Timchang also noted that traders had been informed in advance, and alternatives were offered. “They were asked to move into the market, where a 7×6 ft space was allocated to each trader free of charge,” he said. However, when JoeyOffAir sought to verify this with the traders, responses were inconsistent. While some acknowledged receiving and benefiting from the new spaces, others reported being completely unaware of the offer.

However, not all traders agree with the government’s narrative. Gift Ibode, who sells at Angwan Rukuba market, says no alternatives were provided in her case. “We weren’t given any space. They only just started building the new market now,” she said, adding that she pays monthly taxes to the government. 

According to her, some traders in the area have stopped selling altogether due to unprofitable conditions. Others sell discreetly to avoid enforcement officers.

At the construction site of the Angwan Rukuba market, JoeyOffAir spoke to Ulo Mador, one of the engineers.  “The project started two months ago. People can see the structure going up,” she said. “Ideally, it’s a six-month project. Fingers crossed, we’ll meet that target.”

With satellite markets being developed, such as the soon-to-be-commissioned JMDB market in Bukuru, officials are optimistic that the city is on the path to sustainable order.

Rahila Samson, a town planner and a lecturer at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Jos, said selling by the roadside or utility line is often illegal and below the standard. “In development control, you must follow the standard. There is no better way than what the government has done by enforcing the order,” she told JoeyOffAir.

Streets once crowded are now cleaner, more organised spaces. Residents say that the reduction in roadside trading has eased traffic, reduced accidents, and improved the overall ambience of the city.

But for traders like Roseline, Ibrahim, and Gift, the cost of this transformation is deeply personal. Livelihoods have been disrupted, incomes have plummeted, and daily life has grown increasingly uncertain.

Still, amidst the hardship, a quiet resilience endures. Their faith in government remains intact, even as their profits don’t. Somewhere between the ashes of lost shops and the uncertainty of new beginnings, hope clings on.