By mid-morning, the fruit section of Oje Market, popularly known as Oje Eleso, awakens fully to the bustle of buyers and sellers. The air fills with the sounds of bargaining voices, moving vehicles, and the scent of ripe produce under the Ibadan sun.
Fruit sellers line the roadside as though arranging a colourful exhibition. Bunches of bananas hang in clusters, some still green and firm, others ripening into a soft yellow glow. Watermelons sit heavily on the bare ground in neat rows and small pyramids. African cherries, small and shiny, are poured into sizeable baskets, while oranges are stacked in rounded heaps inside sacks and large basins, their bright skins drawing the attention of motorists and pedestrians alike.
Yet beyond the vibrant display lies a pressing concern: the roadside exhibition of fruits has gradually become an obstruction to the free flow of traffic.
The road has evolved into a shared space, half marketplace, half motorway. Danfo buses edge forward inch by inch. Motorcycles squeeze through narrow gaps. Shoppers and pedestrians navigate carefully along tight pathways, avoiding contact with displayed fruits while dodging moving vehicles.
To the traders, however, the roadside display is not an act of defiance but a means of survival. Visibility translates directly into sales. The closer the produce is to passing traffic, the faster it sells.
From Idi-Ayunre to Temidire, the market spills onto the street without apology.
The situation is further complicated by delivery trucks that arrive daily with fresh fruits from different parts of the country. With no designated parking space for long-haul vehicles, the trucks pull over by the roadside to offload their goods, compounding congestion and narrowing the already tight road space.
Oje Eleso remains the largest fruit market in Ibadan, renowned for offering fruits at some of the cheapest prices in the city. It boasts a wide variety of fresh produce sourced directly from farms across Nigeria. From common fruits like oranges and bananas to tropical varieties such as pineapples and apples, the market prides itself as a vibrant hub of fruit commerce.
Reacting to the persistent traffic congestion in the area, Alhaji Kamorudeen Hammed Olaosebikan, the Babaloja Eleso of Ibadanland, explained that the roadside display is not deliberate but driven by economic necessity.
According to him, the proximity of goods to the roadside accelerates sales, which is crucial for traders dealing in highly perishable commodities.
“We deal with perishable goods that easily spoil. Many people have left the market because of huge debts,” he said.
He lamented the magnitude of losses incurred due to the absence of adequate storage facilities.
“The cost of perished fruits is beyond estimate. If I try to calculate my own losses, I cannot even account for what others are losing,” he added.
Pointing to a heap of spoilt pineapples beside his stall, he said, “For the past one hour, my apprentices and carriers have been disposing of basketfuls of perished pineapples.”
As a market dealing primarily in edible goods, the need for proper waste disposal and sanitary facilities is evident. However, piles of rotten fruits and refuse are often seen beside shops, attracting buzzing flies and emitting foul odours.
Alhaji Olaosebikan therefore appealed to the government to provide modern storage facilities that would help preserve fruits and ensure availability throughout the year. He also called for the construction of adequate toilet facilities within the market.
Furthermore, he urged the government to facilitate the establishment of juice processing factories within the state. According to him, such factories would absorb excess produce and significantly reduce the losses fruit sellers have endured over the years.
For traders at Oje Eleso, survival is measured in daily sales. But without structural support and proper infrastructure, the colourful display that defines the market may continue to come at a cost to both commerce and public order.
