Chinese Merchants Are Taking Over Our Market, Lagos Traders Protest

Traders at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, on Monday staged a protest against the alleged involvement of Chinese nationals in retail trading, warning that the practice threatens the survival of Nigerian-owned businesses.

The demonstration, which took place at markets within the complex including areas around ASPAMDA, saw protesters carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Chinese must go” and “This is a peaceful protest.”

Videos of the protest, shared on X by a user identified as Chief Ikukuoma, showed traders — mostly of Igbo extraction — chanting and marching within the complex.

Speaking during the protest, one of the traders alleged that Chinese nationals, who initially came into the country to engage in wholesale trade, had gradually expanded into retail, selling directly to Nigerian consumers and undercutting local sellers on price.

He alleged that some Chinese businesses had rented shops and built warehouses within the complex, and that some obtained customers’ phone numbers from waybills to solicit sales directly — a practice he said was eroding local traders’ customer base.

The trader stressed that the protest was peaceful, and that demonstrators had no intention of attacking Chinese nationals or damaging their property.

The protest has drawn mixed reactions online. While some commentators urged the Lagos State Government to intervene, others argued that Nigerian consumers stand to benefit from the lower prices offered by Chinese retailers, and questioned the basis for opposing the competition.

The development comes against the backdrop of long-running tensions in Nigeria’s trade fair complexes over the role of foreign nationals in retail commerce, an area historically reserved for citizens under Nigerian law.