The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the Federal Government to regulate foreign participation in Nigeria’s retail trade. The association raised concerns about Chinese traders operating in the last-mile retail market.
MAN Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, spoke during a press briefing for the group’s 54th Annual General Meeting. His comments followed protests by traders at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex. The traders had alleged that some Chinese manufacturers were entering retail operations.
Ajayi-Kadir said several countries already limit foreign participation in certain business sectors. He urged the media to examine Nigeria’s trade and immigration rules.
“The issue of why you have come into a foreign country, what you have come to do, is important,” he said.
He added that foreigners entering other business areas could raise questions about regulatory enforcement.
MAN supports the patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods. However, Ajayi-Kadir said foreign businesses should not enter spaces meant for local operators without proper oversight.
“If there are no extant laws to deal with that kind of thing, I think this is the time that should be considered,” he said.
The call comes as concerns grow over foreign competition in Nigeria’s retail market.
The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) also wants stronger regulation. Its CEO, Muda Yusuf, said foreign participation could affect jobs, fair competition and immigration controls.
CPPE estimates that distributive trade employs about 27.5 per cent of Nigeria’s workforce. The group wants the government to review business permits and expatriate quotas for foreign retailers.
It stressed that the position does not target Chinese investment generally. Instead, CPPE wants foreign investors to focus more on manufacturing and other productive sectors.
