Fight against indiscipline? The governance of street trader displacements in Oshodi Market, Lagos

Abstract

This article examines the process of urban governance through the lens of street trader displacements, a common policy adopted by city authorities in Africa. Whilst some knowledge exists on how central-local government relations affect urban governance, the combined effect of the nature of sub-national governance and local political dynamics on the process of urban governance requires deeper consideration. Drawing on in-depth qualitative case study research in Lagos, Nigeria, this article analyses how urban governance processes produce street trader displacements. From the “war against indiscipline” (WAI) policy by the Nigerian government to the “kick against indiscipline” (KAI) taskforce set up by Lagos State Government to implement its zero-tolerance policy against informal economy workers, street traders in Lagos have continuously suffered under unfavourable government policies. This legacy led up to the large-scale street trader displacements around the popular Oshodi Market in Lagos in 2009. Based on an analysis of urban governance through the lens of the displacements in Oshodi, this paper reveals how the overwhelming influence of city authorities and state-society relationships combine to produce displacements, with existing market trader associations unable to contest street trader displacements due to their political co-option by city authorities. The paper furthers knowledge on how politics shapes urban development and highlights the need for a careful consideration of enduring complex underlying relationships for a grounded understanding of urban governance in the African context.