CHINESE MUST GO! - CHINESE TRADERS VS NIGERIAN TRADERS

 Aspanda Protest: The argument at Lagos’ Trade Fair Complex is bigger than Chinese traders, It is about who gets to sell, who gets the customer and whether Nigerian retailers can survive in a market where their suppliers are increasingly becoming their competitors.

Something unusual happened at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex this week, busiest commercial hubs, Traders at the Aspanda area of Trade Fair Market in Lagos took to the streets on Monday, September 14, 2026, carrying placards and chanting “Chinese must go.” Videos of the protest quickly spread online, putting an old Nigerian business relationship under a new spotlight: the relationship between Nigerian importers and Chinese manufacturers and suppliers.

Prior to all that is heard there is an important distinction, the protesters have largely said their objection is not simply to Chinese nationals being in Nigeria or to Chinese products entering the country, their complaint is about what they describe as Chinese manufacturers and wholesalers moving directly into retail trading, selling to customers who Nigerian traders say they have spent years building relationships with and that is where the story becomes much bigger.guardian.ng

The Question still remains what exactly are the Traders Angry about? And the answer not so simple as the traders are not just complaining about the Chinese made producers but how many Nigerian businesses operates in Trade Fair is dependent heavily on goods sourced from China. Their complaint is about what they describe as a shift from wholesale to direct retail. Protesters complains that, some Chinese businesses that previously supplied Nigerian traders have increasingly started selling directly to consumers within the same commercial environment and this has put them in a fix.

Imagine importing a product from China, paying shipping costs, customs duties, transportation expenses, rent, staff salaries and other business costs only to discover that the company supplying the product is now selling directly beside you, this is what built the anger some traders alleged that Chinese businesses have established shops and warehouses within the complex and sell directly to customers at prices Nigerian retailers struggle to match. But this allegation remains claims by the protesters and have not been independently established.

The story gets more juicy introducing the Battle of the Middleman, the system of trading in Nigeria has been the same importers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers.

A product can move from a factory in Guangzhou to a Nigerian importer, from the importer to a wholesaler, then to a retailer before finally reaching the consumer, and with this chain every person has a margin but what happens when the one company can remove several stages of that chain "the product becomes cheaper" which is great news for the consumers but for the trader sitting in the middle of the chain, the matter gets painful and becomes a serious problem that needs to be solved.

This is why the Aspanda dispute is not simply about Nigeria vs China It is about who controls the supply chain and perhaps more importantly who controls the customer?

Another question that should be asked is it really about the Chinese people? this distinction matters because this dispute should not automatically become a debate about an entire nationality. The issue being raised by the traders is primarily about business activity, competition, market access and regulation.

The Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board has itself framed the issue around fair competition, market access and regulatory compliance. The Board has said that Nigeria can welcome legitimate foreign investment while also protecting the interests of Nigerian businesses and MSMEs. It has also urged traders to avoid taking the law into their own hands and said discussions with stakeholders are underway.

Nigeria needs foreign investment and Nigeria also needs Nigerian businesses this are two extremely important distinction. The difficult part is deciding how both can operate without one side believing the other is being given an unfair advantage.

Another questions on Nigerians should be asking is why we Nigerians import so much? If Nigerian factories could produce more of the products currently imported from China, local businesses would not have to fight over the same imported supply chain. the problem moves from Chinese retailers. t touches on manufacturing, electricity, logistics, foreign exchange, taxation, infrastructure, access to finance and the cost of doing business in Nigeria.

This is why the Aspanda protest has become an economic conversation rather than simply a market dispute. The protest may be happening in a Lagos market, but the underlying question is national: Can Nigerian businesses compete effectively in an economy where imported goods are often cheaper and foreign companies are becoming increasingly involved in local distribution and retail?

For now, the situation appears to have been brought under control, the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board has moved to engage stakeholders, But the underlying disagreement has not disappeared. But one thing is becoming increasingly clear: The Aspanda protest is not only about Chinese traders. It is about the future structure of Nigerian commerce.

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