A dispute over Chinese involvement in retail trading at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex is raising questions about fair competition and the protection of Nigerian businesses.
Local traders say some Chinese operators are now selling directly to their customers, while management insists lawful foreign investment must also be protected.
For years, many Nigerian traders here have bought imported goods for resale.
Now, some say the people who once supplied them are increasingly becoming their competitors.
Members of the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association, ASPMDA, have protested against what they describe as the growing involvement of some Chinese businesses in direct retail sales.
Their concern is simple but potentially far-reaching.
They argue that operators who can source goods directly from manufacturers abroad may also be able to sell directly to consumers at prices local traders cannot easily match.
But foreign participation in retail trade is not, by itself, prohibited under Nigerian law.
The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Act allows non-Nigerians to participate in Nigerian enterprises, except activities specifically placed on the country’s negative list.
Ordinary retail trading is not currently on that list.
The dispute, therefore, turns increasingly on questions of fair competition, market access and whether businesses operating within the complex are complying with applicable Nigerian regulations.
The Executive Director of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board, Veronica Safiya Ndanusa, says the concerns of Nigerian traders deserve attention.
She says protecting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and welcoming legitimate foreign investment are not conflicting objectives.
The Board says Nigeria will continue to protect foreign investors operating within its statutory framework, including their investments, property and physical safety.
But management is also engaging Nigerian traders and other stakeholders over their concerns.
Ndanusa has appealed to ASPMDA members and youth representatives to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands while discussions continue.
For the Nigerian traders, however, the question remains:
How do you compete when the businesses supplying your market also begin selling directly to your customers?
(Follow AIT News on WhatsApp, AfricaIndependentTV on YouTube, ait_online on Facebook and X (Formerly Twitter), and officialait on TikTok, Instagram and Threads)
Editor: Ada Ononye
