Traders at the Trade Fair Market in Lagos State on Tuesday staged a protest against the presence of Chinese merchants operating within the market, with demonstrators chanting, “Chinese must go.”
The protesters, who gathered within the market premises, were seen in a video obtained by PLATFORM TIMES expressing their opposition to the continued presence of Chinese traders and demanding that they leave the country.
The demonstration reportedly centred on Chinese merchants operating businesses in the market, although the specific grievances that triggered Tuesday’s protest could not immediately be established.
In the footage, the traders repeatedly chanted, “Chinese must go,” while calling for the departure of Chinese nationals engaged in commercial activities at the market.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the identities of the organisers and representatives of the protesting traders were not immediately available, while no official statement had been issued by the market management as of the time of filing this report.
The protest comes against the backdrop of longstanding concerns among sections of Nigerian traders over the involvement of foreign nationals in local commerce, particularly in the importation, distribution and retailing of goods.
Some local traders have, over the years, expressed concerns that competition from foreign merchants could threaten the livelihoods of indigenous businesses, particularly where foreign operators are perceived to be participating directly in retail activities.
Tuesday’s protesters, however, appeared to focus their demands specifically on Chinese merchants rather than Chinese-made goods, as their chants called for the departure of Chinese traders from the market and Nigeria.
The development also raises broader questions about the enforcement of regulations governing the participation of foreign nationals in Nigeria’s domestic trading and retail sector, as well as the need to balance legitimate business competition with the protection of local enterprises.
As of press time, there was no confirmed information on whether the protest had resulted in the closure of shops or disruption of commercial activities at the Trade Fair Market.
PLATFORM TIMES also could not independently establish whether any government agency or security authority had intervened in the protest.
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