As Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, prepares to take the oath of office for his second term on Friday, October 16, 2026, traders and residents have called on his administration to prioritise economic relief, improve market infrastructure, ensure accountability in revenue collection and restore electricity to communities experiencing prolonged blackouts.
The residents said they expect practical interventions to ease the cost of living, reduce the burden on small businesses and address infrastructure challenges affecting livelihoods.
While traders in Ado-Ekiti urged a review of taxes and levies, upgrade of market facilities and access to affordable financing, residents of Oke Alaafia, Igirimo, Alafiatayo Zone 3 and Central Zones appealed for urgent intervention over power outages they said had lasted over two years.
Speaking with journalists, a foodstuff trader, Mrs Oladele Ibidun, said rising prices had weakened customers’ purchasing power, forcing many households to cut down on purchases.
She said traders were also struggling to restock as proceeds from sales were often insufficient to buy the same quantity of goods.
“Business is no longer as easy as it used to be. Prices keep changing and customers who previously bought in large quantities now buy little because they cannot afford more. If I sell today, the money may not be enough to buy the same quantity tomorrow,” she said.
Ibidun urged the government to ease the cost of doing business by addressing transportation costs, supporting local producers and farmers, and strengthening residents’ purchasing power.
“What we want from the governor in his second term is an economy that allows ordinary people to breathe,” she added.
Another trader, Desmond Kingsley, identified multiple taxes and levies as a major challenge for small businesses.
While acknowledging the need for revenue generation, he said overlapping charges, coupled with high costs of transportation, shop rent and electricity, were threatening business survival.
“We are not saying traders should not pay tax. Our concern is the burden. Our appeal is that the governor should review the taxes, reduce those that are too high and create a transparent system where traders know what to pay, who is authorised to collect it and what it is for,” he said.
Similarly, Mrs Adebayo Bosede called for greater accountability in the utilisation of revenue collected from traders.
She said traders would have more confidence in the tax system if they could see improvements in sanitation, drainage, road access and security.
“We want to see what the taxes are used for. If we see good roads, clean markets and proper drainage, we will have more confidence in the system,” she said.
Another trader, who requested anonymity, urged the government to expand access to affordable credit for small businesses and improve market facilities to attract customers and create jobs.
Residents of Oke Alaafia, Igirimo, Alafiatayo Zone 3 and Central Zones said they had been without electricity for over two years, a situation that has disrupted households and crippled small businesses.
They said they had written letters to Governor Oyebanji and the Senate Leader seeking intervention, but were yet to get the desired result.
The residents accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of failing to address the problem, forcing households to contribute nearly N70,000 each towards repairing their damaged transformer.
They appealed to the governor to intervene by engaging relevant electricity authorities and ensuring sustainable restoration of power, while investigating the cause of the prolonged outage.
As Governor Oyebanji begins his second term, traders and residents said they expect the administration to translate its development agenda into practical interventions that improve livelihoods, strengthen public confidence in revenue collection and ensure that government policies have direct impact on the people.