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 industrial action, which began on Thursday, October 1, 2026, involves a total halt to the supply of scrap metals to the affected steel companies.
Speaking at a press conference, NASWDEN Deputy National President, Amin Hassan Soja, said the strike would be suspended if the Federal Government and the companies addressed the association’s grievances.
He, however, warned that the warning strike could be extended indefinitely if no agreement was reached within the 15 days.
Soja said scrap dealers were suffering substantial financial losses due to what he described as arbitrary reductions in the prices paid for scrap metals by steel manufacturers.
According to him, dealers could lose between N3 million and N4 million on a single truckload of scrap as a result of repeated price cuts.
He also accused some steel manufacturers of producing substandard iron rods through alleged manipulation of the sizes and quantities of products manufactured from scrap metals supplied by local dealers.
Soja alleged that some manufacturers reduced 12mm iron rods to smaller sizes, resulting in finished products whose weight could be significantly lower than the quantity of scrap metal purchased from dealers.
He further accused some companies of manipulating weighing scales and deducting between one and five per cent from the weight of scrap supplied under what he described as an “extra dose” arrangement.
The NASWDEN official attributed some of the recent price reductions to global geopolitical developments, saying disruptions in international trade had led to large quantities of steel-related materials being purchased cheaply from some countries and imported into Nigeria.
He also expressed concern over the establishment of dump sites by foreign-owned companies, alleging that the practice was pushing indigenous scrap dealers out of business because they could not compete with the companies on price.
Soja called on the Federal Government to intervene and ensure that foreign steel companies concentrate on manufacturing rather than directly competing with local scrap dealers for the collection and supply of scrap materials.
He stressed that the scrap and waste sector employs millions of Nigerians, particularly young people, and should be formally integrated into the national 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 commenced discussions with the association through the Executive Secretary of the National Steel Council, Ambassador Abdelkader Fadi.
He said NASWDEN had formally submitted its grievances and was awaiting further action from the relevant ministry.
The association leader also claimed that members across the country had complied with the strike directive, with trucks carrying scrap metals reportedly parked at various locations as the action commenced.
He stressed that the strike was peaceful and that members had not engaged in activities capable of disrupting public order.
NASWDEN urged the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the dispute, regulate the operations of steel manufacturers and protect the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians engaged in the scrap and waste trade.
