The COVID-19 pandemic came suddenly upon the earth and the impact has affected every sphere of human life. One of such is the way people visit the markets to buy and sell.

Many markets are now on lockdown except for those that deal with food and agriculture and every produce that is food and agro related.

This is likely to be a continuum for many days, weeks and months ahead.

Well, for some parts of Lagos, the commercial nerve city of Nigeria, neighbourhood food markets for residents of the State are now the order of the day.

These markets exist essentially to address the problem associated with the lockdown and the promotion of social distancing in the fight against the spread of the dreaded COVID-19.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, in a statement, , explained that the neighbourhood food markets would hold in 27 selected public schools within 14 local government areas of the state.

He stressed that the neighbourhood food markets were basically set up in order to provide Lagosians access to food supplies during the lockdown.

This is with a view to preventing panic buying in line with the State government’s directives of closing all markets and stores trading in non-essential commodities.

According to him, the makeshift markets within the neighbourhood are platforms for families that do not have the capacity to buy foodstuffs in bulk.

The Commissioner explained that the markets would enable shoppers to buy produce and other everyday needs such as beverages, vegetables, fish, poultry products, bread, and other essential needs at competitive, affordable, and farm gate prices.