Computer Village

The Computer Village is an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) accessories market located in a community called Otigba at Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State, southwestern Nigeria. The market is the largest ICT accessory market in Africa.^[1][2] It is a Perfect competition market, under the umbrella of Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN).^[3]

Apart from the sales of information and technology accessory, the markets also deals in the repair of mobile phones and computers. The computer and phone repairs could either be on software or hardware components depending on the nature of the fault.^[4]

The market and its wide range of business activities gives opportunities to computer engineers and technicians who specialized in the repair of faulty computers and mobile phone to transact businesses with dealers of ICT accessory, thereby creating job opportunities for them.^[5] The market is opened on a daily basis except on Sundays and public holidays. This daily business transactions and popularity has attracted new investors and ICT dealers across Africa thereby expanding the market size and population with profound effects on Lagos State economy.^[6]

The ICT accessory market was formerly located at Ogunlana Drive, Surulere in the early 1990s and its current location was a mere residential area and offices.^[7] Recently, Lagos State Government planned to relocate over 3000 traders in the market to a new location in Katangowa, a suburb of Lagos. The government decision on relocation becomes necessary as a result of the Population density of the market.^[6]

Basic structural characteristics

The market is a Perfect market in which no dealer influences the price of the product it buys or sells within the market. There are huge number of buyers and sellers in the market coupled with a large number of consumers with willingness to buy the products at a certain price with respect to their need and income.^[8] There is no Barriers to entry and exit from the market, permitting long term adjustments to changing in the market conditions.^[9] ICT dealers and consumers have perfect knowledge of price, quality of the products and its utility with zero incur cost In course of their transactions.^[10] The market also permit buyers to make rational purchases on the basis of information and price knowledge.^[11]

Criticisms

Certain activities in the market had strongly been criticized by good numbers of people across the country whose concerns centered on the conduct of certain unqualified engineers and fraudster who uses the market as a medium to sell counterfeit mobile phones and computer accessories.^[12][13] There are several stories about stolen phones which often find their ways into the market but these unlawful act are usually perpetrated by unregistered traders and Retailers many of which transact on Cabs, walkways and sometimes with show-glasses as shop.^[14][15] Although, there are two major categories of traders in the market, the registered and unregistered or free traders who often transact business on cabs and walkways.^[16] The later category of trader is believed to be the perpetrator of major business related crime in the market.^[17]

References