Scholars Advocate for Informal Markets in Nigeria

On Monday, during the second edition of the Southern Urbanism Co-Net Conference at the University of Lagos, international scholars called for Nigeria and other African nations to stop viewing informal markets and settlements as urban failures. The three-day conference, themed “Negotiating Rural-Urban Futures,” included participants from Nigeria, Japan, Mali, France, China, Tanzania, and Latin America.

Dr Mokolade Johnson, the conference organizer and UNILAG architecture lecturer, emphasized the importance of indigenous knowledge in urban development. Prof Oussouby Sacko, Executive Director of Tokyo Metropolitan Public University Corporation, urged African governments to improve informal settlements instead of demolishing them.

Dr Steven Ajadi, an architect and urban designer, argued that informality is a defining identity of African cities and should be valued for its contributions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when traditional markets thrived while formal outlets struggled. The conference aimed to promote the inclusion of local markets and architecture in urban planning.