Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate shutdown of Onitsha Main Market in Onitsha, a major commercial city in Anambra State in south-east Nigeria, citing what he described as “economic sabotage” linked to the continued Monday sit-at-home disruptions.
The state government said the market closure will run for one week, starting from Monday, 26 January 2026, as officials move to enforce compliance and identify those involved in keeping businesses shut on Mondays.
In a government statement, the administration said it is acting after what it called “protracted economic sabotage cloaked as ‘Monday sit at home’,” adding that the Anambra State government has begun “a total crackdown on all who aid and abet it.” Okay News reports that the statement warned the closure could be extended if trading does not resume at the end of the initial period.
According to the statement, the first phase of the shutdown will last for one week, but the government will extend it to one month if the market is still not open by the next Monday, 2 February 2026.
The action comes amid continued partial compliance with Monday work and school schedules across parts of the state. Despite a directive by the state government that public workers who fail to report for duty on Mondays will lose their pay, many schools and offices were still closed.
Traders at Onitsha Main Market reacted during the governor’s visit, and a video of the announcement circulated online as the government moved to enforce its new measures.
Anambra State, one of Nigeria’s 36 states, has in recent years faced repeated disruptions to commercial activity due to periodic sit-at-home actions, a development that has affected businesses, workers, and access to services in parts of the south-east region.
