Coker Marble Market, biggest in West Africa  —–  Umeagudosi …As market rehabilitates 200 Area Boys, empowers them

Coker Marble and Allied Market, Coker, Lagos State, Nigeria, has been touted as the biggest Marble Market in the whole of West Africa.

Uchenna Umeagudosi, the Vice President, United Marbles and Allied Products Dealers Association, Coker, Lagos, made the disclosures in his office, on Thursday, January 22, 2026, while speaking to Journalists.

The business guru also revealed that the market has rehabilitated and empowered over 200 boys popularly referred to as area boys and they are into various skills that fetch them money in the market.

Umeagudosi also spoke glowingly on how the market leadership has ensured peaceful environment for day to day business activities in the market to thrive, adding that the market has zero tolerance for fighting and all forms of violence. “As you can see, this market is the biggest Marble market in the whole of West Africa, and we that are here we love peace, we know that this is Lagos State, some people say, Lagos is no man’s land, know, Lagos is somebody’s land, Lagos belongs to the Yorubas and we are doing business in their land, we know when we cross our boundary and that is why we always avoid whatever that can bring problem. So we coordinate ourselves well in this market.

“There are some boys, we called them area boys, go to the back of this market now, you will see boys, over 200 of them, some of them were area boys before, but we have taught them to have something doing, some are doing cutting, some are learning Marble furniture, some are installing kitchen tops, alter table and the rest.

“Those area boys we have converted them to become somebody. Most of them are married, even those that are doing loading and offloading, they are the ones that are taking care of all those things, and we have certain laws that guide them. If you go beyond them we know how to deal with you. That is why we have peace here, we don’t even fight here at all, you can never see anybody fight here, talk less of carrying weapons, it is not possible. We know how to handle them, and we know where we are, we don’t play with this place,” Umeagudosi stated.

Speaking further on how popular the market is he said, “If you go to banks in this Lagos, church, anything you see there that is Marble, is from this market.”

Umeagudosi added that the market has a formidable Task Force whose responsibility is to ensure compliance to law and order, “Here in this market we have Task Force and they are working directly under me as the Vice President of the market and they are all well respected men, and they are doing their jobs very very well.”

Speaking on the challenges confronting the market, the Vice President said that one of the teething problems being experienced in the market is the issue of multiple taxation, and called on the authorities to come to their assistance. “We have challenges in terms of the multiple taxes by the local government. Our trucks coming here both day and night, what the local government is charging us, sometimes it is on the higher side, we pay about three to four different tickets, sometimes, if your truck comes in the night, you see they would lock up the tire, that one they call it overnight parking, you can imagine, overnight parking, when we are paying other tickets already. So that is one of the challenges we face here, we have met Government severally but all to no avail; they are waiving it aside. However we still kept calm, still take it gradually with them, maybe gradually, they would reach understanding or hear our voice.”

Umeagudosi also said the market has office of Babaloja and Iyaloja, adding that one of the tickets being paid in the market was designed to take care of the Babaloja and Iyaloja.

Speaking on incessant fire outbreaks in markets dominated by the Igbos in Lagos State, he said,

“Our business is totally different from all those ones, ours is building materials, what we sell here is natural stones, Marble, granite, and the rest, our business needs empty space, not like shops or warehouses or the like, so we can put our goods outside, not inside. So we don’t really have much to do with fire.”

He pleaded with local government in whose jurisdiction the Coker Market is domiciled to reduce the number of tickets in the market so that business could thrive in the market.  “What we really need from this Government, you know when the politicians promise you something, when they enter they are not going to do it again. But all we are saying is that they should look into those various bills, tickets, they are all human beings, they should look into all the things they are taxing us, just for them to bring them down, we all have families, likewise all those boys we brought into this market and they are now useful to themselves and society; we are the ones taking care of them, to make sure they have something doing. So Government should look towards that direction to bring the number of tickets down.

Umeagudosi also commented on his political future saying the tenure for the present leadership is gradually coming to a close. He said the market is over 40 to 50 years while has as a person he has been in the market for over 30 years. Being the Vice President on  his second tenure, which would end this year.

“By the special grace of God, by this coming November, I am going to contest for the position of the President of this market, that is the only position that remains for me now. I was the Director of Welfare before becoming Vice President, so from Vice to President, that is where I am heading to now, by the special grace of God.”