According to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), COVID-19 protocols are the various precautionary measures put in place by the public health practitioners to safeguard the health of the people against the disease. The main aim of the study is to assess the level of compliance with COVID-19 protocols among market women in Akure South Local Government area of Ondo State during the first wave of the pandemic between 27th February, 2020 and 30th November, 2020. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used for this study. The sample for the study consists of Three Hundred and Ninety Two (392) market women selected from the study area through a random sampling technique. Primary data were collected through self-administered questionnaire and the results were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Secondary data were sourced from the NCDC reports, health publications and internet. The result showed that the majority of the respondents were aware about the COVID-19 symptoms, mode of transmission, protocols and implications but did not show high level of compliance with the preventive and mitigating measures that were prescribed by the local and global health bodies such as World Health Organization (WHO) and enforced by the governments. The study therefore, concluded that the market women displayed high level of non-compliance with COVID-19 protocols which resulted to high incidence of disease. The study further revealed that nonchalant attitude to precautionary measures have socio-economic and health implications. It is recommended that vigorous awareness programmes, timely enforcement of preventive measures and provision of palliatives during lockdowns to the residents would go a long way in mitigating the effects of the pandemic outbreak in the future.