Ogunleye Busuyi Kehinde,
+234-7067519095
ogunleyebusuyi4@gmail.com
56, Ilana Street, Ipele.
The etymology of the word “Market” could be traced to Old High German marcāt and ultimately from the Latin word mercatus which could be interpreted as trade. Significantly, judging from the etymology, market and trade are siamese. They jointly coexist. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines Market as “a meeting together of people for the purpose of trade by private purchase and sale and usually not by auction”. What can be simply deduced from the above narrative is that Market is simply a place where people go to exchange trade of goods, services and commodities.
Every society from the inception of the world has a market. It is an integral part of livelihood and sustainability. The economics prosperity of a society is weaved around its market system. Albeit, markets significantly differ in size and attendance. However, the impact of a market in any given society cannot be under emphasized. It is a formidable tool that can be used to enhance prosperity and achieve excellence.
Without further ado, it is imperative to highlight the market system in Ipele. This does not refer to neighborhood markets like Omelege, Alao or Elegbeka but the typical Ipele market – Ojà Ìpelè. Ipele market system has it affiliation to tradition and culture. In the faculty of our cultural heritage, market is an undeniable department. It is even important to explain briefly how the peoples of Ipele converge together to began their trading activities.
It is evident that Ipele has two Market locations or venues as the case may be. The first is the traditionally recognized market located around Imalo and it only operates when there is a king. At the announcement of the king’s demise, the venue of the market changes to another spot, somewhere around Ona Iton. With my vast knowledge in History of Ipele and my various research projects on Ipele kingdom, I am yet to receive a convincing reason why this is so!
As earlier mentioned, the peoples of Ipele did not just wake up one beautiful morning to pick a spot for their trading activities. According to oral tradition, when Olujan Mokun, one of the aboriginals of Ipele gave out his daughter’s hands in marriage to his friend, Oluerin, the founder of Oko quarter, a historical event happened. While the new bride was been accompanied by his friends and slaves to her husband’s house, they encountered an elephant. The slave of the bride named Amure, killed the elephant. As the proceeded on their journey, they also encountered a leopard. Amure killed the leopard as well. He thereby sent messages to Olujan Mokun of his hunting prowess. The slave requested to send some portion of the meat to his Master. Olujan Mokun considered it unnecessary haven been a great hunter himself. He however demanded for the tail of the leopard. That this why till this day, any hunter who kills a leopard in Ipele must take the tail to Oloten of Ujan Community.
Amure the slave and his colleagues slaughtered the animals, butchered them and began to sell the meat to interested buyers. The premises in which this was done is today known as Ojà Ìpelè. That spot where the meat were sold became Ipele market till this day. Also, been the queen of Oloko, whose journey to her husband’s house unprecedentedly led to the creation of Ipele market, Oko women became the first traders to always display their wares every market day in Ipele market.
Like I mentioned above, I still do not know why the market venue often changes whenever the town has no king. At least, I have witnessed two interregnum and the market venue has been moved on both occasions.
Just like every other rural settlement, Ipele market is rotational. It comes up at intervals of 5 days. On a market day, traders, basically women display their wares and woo buyers for patronage.
Since I was a boy, the scope of Ipele market and its modus operandi never change. It is a market that remains so crude. It has weak population and unconvincing trading activities. In my opinion, it is simply a market place where women go to buy ingredients for their soup, nothing more! To buttress this my assertion, the market opens around 7:30am for trading activities and latest by 12:30pm, everybody has called it a day! Even the geographical landscape of Ipele market is typically worrisome. The challenges the market has from clinching to its potentials are not far fetched.
The roads leading to the market are not motorable. It becomes a huge difficulty for farmers to transport their enormous farm produce to the market. In addition, the market lacks complexes and stalls. The stalls therein are built a long time ago without refurbishment. The market is just too small in terms of landscape and size.
With the challenges rocking Ipele market, one will agree with me that it will be almost impossible to achieve commerce and economic potentials. The benefits of the market will only be limited to trade in soup ingredients and few household items.
At this juncture, it is important to note that there are numerous potentials and gains that Ipele market could generate but it seems these potentials have not been inadvertently considered. First, as an agrarian community, the choice of occupation the people practice – farming – should be of great advantage to the market system. The market should always be flood with farm produce with buyers coming from far and near.
How can the gains and potentials of Ipele market system be annexed? First, it is important for everyone to see this as a collective responsibility. Everybody should understand that the economy of any given society is a major determinant of its development. All hands must always be on deck to always make sure Ipele market is revived for excellence.
In a 21st century where information communication and technology is on the high, Ipele market system should not be left behind in this global Innovation. There must be Stakeholders Summit, symposiums, workshops and seminars for traders on how to step up the market system. The community must invest heavily on this aspect. There should be commercial emancipation.
One important factor affecting Ipele market is depopulation of Ipele community. Without mincing words, the emigration of people from Ipele is worrisome. With this, how can the traders have abundance of buyers? Industrialization and tertiary institution remain a panacea to ceaseless emigration. This will hamper the movement of people from the community and promote the influx of people to the town.
In addition, the roads leading to the market and even the ones that pass through the market need to be constructed. This will enhance free flow of movement. The stalls need to be renovated as they look too old and weak. The generality of Ipele market needs a facelift.
My concern draws to the Market that was built by the an erstwhile Governor of Ondo State, Dr Rahman Olusegun Mimiko. What has become that market? God bless the soul of Late Kabiyesi Oba Victor Oluwasegun Aganun JP. I understand that the market was opened for trading activities during his lifetime as Olupele of Ipele, although it later led to some controversy.
From my assessment of market system, any market located along a highway stands the tendency to thrive. Commuters and pedestrians are liable to make unplanned patronages compared to markets hiden in the innermost part of a street.
The following markets are few of the markets located across the highway and they are successfully thriving: Omelege, Alao, Kwoi (Kaduna State), Ganmo (Kwara State), Ilawe (Ekiti State), Karambana (Plateau State), Ogbese, etc
It will be a great advantage if the Mimiko Market can be reopened for trading activities. Its strategic location will no doubt be a plus. Perhaps, it could be a daily market while the other one based on its culture and Traditional values and significance comes up at 5 days interval.
From ab initio, market is a landmark for economic prosperity. It is a centrepiece for community wealth. Goods, commodities and services are the bedrocks of any given market. It is imperative for all market men and women to smile back home after a bountiful daily sales. The name of Ipele must be on the market map of Ondo State. It is high time we stopped our dependence on neighbouring markets. Rome may not have been built in a day but it is today known as one of the greatest empires. Ipele market can whisk itself off cocoons of relegation. The hope of Ipele market system lies in the gains and potentials which must be annexed. The crudeness of Ipele market must be refined. With the emergence of a highly learned and traveled monarch, Kabiyesi Oba Samuel Adedaramola Adesanmi, all hands must now be on deck. Ipele market system is not encouraging. Savaging it must be a priority for all indigenes and inhabitants of Ipele both home and in diaspora. It is achievable, it is possible. Ipele shall be great again!
Peoplesmind