Governor Chukwuma Soludo has announced that the long-running Monday “sit-at-home” order in Anambra State has come to an end.
Soludo made the declaration on Monday during a walk through the Onitsha Main Market, aimed at signalling the restoration of full commercial activities.
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The governor’s visit to the historic market functioned as both a symbolic and practical statement that Anambra State is once again open for business, bringing to a close a period of civil disobedience that has severely affected the South-East economy since 2021.
Soludo moved through major trading areas, including Ose Market, Bright Street, Lagos Line, and Emeka Offor Plaza, where he interacted directly with traders.
During the walk, he bought locally made items—from fabrics to food items—to show that the atmosphere of fear previously used to sustain the shutdown had faded.
The Monday sit-at-home was initially enforced by separatist groups in 2021.
Although the groups later announced cancellations, “ghost-town” Mondays continued because of fears of enforcement by rogue actors.
Soludo said, “Ndi Anambra are taking back their day, their economy, and their future. Today marks an end to the sit-at-home.
“I am satisfied with the large turnout of traders at the Onitsha Main Market today; it is impressive the number of people that have come to make purchases.”
He proceeded on foot from Oseokwodu Market to Onitsha Main Market and later to Emeka Offor Plaza to assess compliance, after earlier cautioning traders to reopen their shops or face forfeiture.
Although the governor’s presence lifted morale, the state government said it remains mindful of its duty to ensure the safety of the main market.
Soludo’s “shop-floor diplomacy” represents a major shift for the South-East’s regional economy, which has recorded billions of naira in losses over the last five years.
