Scrap dealers begin 15-day nationwide strike over steel companies’ practices

The National Association of Scraps and Waste Dealers and Employers of Nigeria (NASWDEN) has commenced a 15-day nationwide warning strike over alleged price manipulation, substandard steel production and other practices by foreign-owned iron-smelting companies operating in Nigeria.

The association said the strike, which began on Thursday, October 1, 2026, involved a total cut-off of scrap metal supplies to the affected companies.

Speaking at a press conference, Deputy National President of NASWDEN, Amin Hassan Soja, said the strike would be suspended if the Federal Government and the companies addressed their grievances.

He warned that the action could become indefinite if no reconciliation was reached within the 15-day warning period.

According to him, scrap dealers were suffering huge financial losses because of what he described as arbitrary depreciation in the prices paid for scrap metals by the steel companies.

Soja said dealers could lose between N3 million and N4 million on a single truckload as a result of the frequent reduction in prices.

He also accused some steel manufacturers of producing substandard iron rods by manipulating the sizes and quantities of products made from scrap metals supplied to them.

He alleged that some manufacturers converted 12mm iron rods to smaller sizes, adding that the weight of finished products supplied to customers could be significantly lower than the quantity of scrap metal purchased from dealers.

The NASWDEN leader further accused the companies of manipulating weighing scales and deducting between one and five per cent from the weight of scrap supplied to them under what he described as an “extra dose” arrangement.

He linked some of the recent price reductions to global geopolitical developments, saying disruptions in international trade had resulted in large quantities of steel-related materials being purchased cheaply from some countries and imported into Nigeria.

Soja also raised concerns over the establishment of dump sites by foreign companies, alleging that the practice was driving indigenous scrap dealers out of business because they could not compete with the companies on price.

He called for Federal Government intervention, arguing that foreign steel companies should focus on manufacturing rather than directly competing with local scrap dealers for the collection and supply of scrap.

According to him, the scrap industry employs millions of Nigerians, particularly youths, and should be formally integrated into the Nigerian economy.

“We want the Federal Government to come in and formalise the sector and collaborate with us. The government should also provide intervention funds to scrap traders so that indigenous Nigerians can establish companies similar to those being established by foreign investors,” he said.

Soja disclosed that the Federal Government had already initiated discussions with the association through the Executive Secretary of the National Steel Council, Ambassador Abdelkader Fadi.

He said the association had presented its grievances in writing and was awaiting further action from the relevant ministry.

The NASWDEN leader said members across the country had complied with the directive, claiming that trucks conveying scrap metals had been parked in several locations as the strike took effect.

He stressed that the industrial action was peaceful and that members had not engaged in any activity capable of disrupting public order.

The association urged the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the dispute, regulate the operations of steel manufacturers and protect the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians involved in the scrap and waste trade.

Scrap dealers begin 15-day nationwide strike over steel companies’ practices