Trade Fair Management Moves to Calm Tension over Chinese Retailers

By Emmanuel Daniji

The dispute between local traders and Chinese businesses at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex is taking a new turn, with the management of the complex calling for calm while promising to address concerns over competition and market access.

The development comes after members of the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPMDA) raised concerns over the activities of Chinese retail traders operating within the complex.

For many Nigerian traders whose businesses depend on the Trade Fair Complex, the issue goes beyond foreign competition. They are worried about what happens to their businesses when wholesalers and manufacturers begin selling directly to the same customers they depend on.

Responding to the concerns, the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board (LITFCMB) said it remained committed to maintaining a fair and lawful business environment for both Nigerian and foreign investors operating within the complex.

The Board’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Veronica Safiya Ndanusa, made the position known in a statement on Thursday.

Ndanusa acknowledged the concerns raised by local traders, noting that Nigerian businesses had over the years built their livelihoods within the market.

She said issues surrounding fair competition, access to the market and compliance with regulations deserved proper attention.

According to her, the management’s responsibility is to ensure that the complex remains an enabling commercial environment while also ensuring that businesses operating there comply with the law.

She stressed that Nigeria’s willingness to welcome legitimate foreign investment should not be viewed as being in conflict with the protection of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Rather, she said both objectives could work together as part of the country’s broader economic development.

The LITFCMB boss said the activities of Nigerian and foreign businesses should complement each other and contribute to the growth of the economy.

She also assured foreign investors operating legally within the complex that their investments, property and physical safety would remain protected.

“Nigeria honours its bilateral trade agreements and continues to welcome foreign investors that operates strictly within our statutory framework,” she said.

However, the immediate concern for local traders remains competition.

Traders have complained that when businesses with access to wholesale supplies sell directly to consumers, smaller Nigerian retailers may struggle to match their prices.

The issue has already generated protests, with traders calling for government intervention and discussions involving all sides.

Against this backdrop, Ndanusa appealed to ASPMDA members and youth representatives to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands.

She said the management was engaging relevant stakeholders with the aim of finding a lasting resolution to the dispute.

The situation at the Trade Fair Complex reflects a wider challenge facing Nigeria’s commercial sector: how to attract foreign investment while ensuring that local businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, can continue to survive and grow.

For the traders, the outcome of the ongoing discussions could have a direct impact on their daily businesses and livelihoods. For the authorities, the task is to find a balance between encouraging investment and ensuring that the rules of competition are clear and fairly applied to everyone.