The Nationwide Coordination of Scrap and Waste Dealers and Employers of Nigeria (NASWDEN) has commenced a 15-day nationwide warning strike over alleged unfair pricing, manipulation of weighing scales and production of substandard iron rods by some foreign-owned steel companies.
The collection’s Deputy Nationwide President, Comrade Aminu Hassan Soja, announced this at a press conference, saying the strike began on October 1 and would involve a overall cut-off of scrap provide to steel companies across the country.
He warned that the relationship would expand the strike indefinitely if no agreement was reached together with the companies or the Federal Government during the warning period.
“We contact on our members nationwide to embark on this warning strike for 15 days, starting from currently, October 1, 2026. But if we don’t have reconciliation, we will go indefinite,” Soja said.
He alleged that some foreign-owned iron-smelting companies had been reducing the prices they paid for scrap metal, resulting in losses of in the middle of N3 million and N4 million on a one truckload.
According to him, the companies had failed to provide satisfactory explanations for the frequent charge reductions, which he said were causing serious difficulties for scrap dealers across the country.
Soja additionally accused the companies of manipulating weighing scales, alleging that dealers who supplied one tonne, equivalent to 1,000 kilogrammes, could receive settlement based on substantially lesser weights.
He supplementary alleged that some companies were producing substandard iron rods by manipulating the sizes and quantities of materials used in production.
He claimed that 12mm rods were at times produced as 10mm, alleging that such practices could have implications for the standard of construction materials and building safety.
Another grievance, he said, was what the association described as “added dose”, which he alleged involved deductions of amid one and five per cent from the weight of scrap supplied to the companies on the grounds of impurities.
Soja additionally accused some foreign companies of opening scrap group points and dump sites in communities, saying the development was pushing indigenous scrap dealers out of enterprise.
He said the group had repeatedly complained to pertinent government departments and ministries but that its efforts had so far failed to determine the issues.
“This is not just concerning us. They are sending a lot of youths out of jobs,” he said.
He described the scrap business area as one of the country’s important employers of labour, notably between young humans, and called for government intervention to safeguard indigenous operators.
Soja said the collaboration had already received an invitation from the Federal Government throughout the Executive Secretary of the Statewide Steel Council, Ambassador Abdelkader Fadi, who listened to their grievances and received their complaints in writing.
He said the approved assured the group that the material would be presented to the pertinent minister, adding that the dealers were awaiting the government’s reaction.
The NASWDEN handbook said members across the country had complied including the strike directive, claiming that trucks carrying scrap metal had been parked in multiple locations.
He said the assistance was seeking government intervention to formalise the informal scrap sector and deliver financial support that would let indigenous operators to establish and broaden their own businesses.
“We desire the Federal Government to come in and formalise it. These foreign companies are taking away our jobs. If we have reconciliation including the companies, we may name off the strike. To collaborate using us, grant lots of scrap traders intervention finance, so that indigenous individuals can additionally establish the type of companies these foreigners are establishing,” he said.
He appealed to the government to intervene prior to the dispute escalated, saying the alliance’s demands were aimed at protecting jobs and ensuring increased participation of indigenous businesses in the steel and recycling promote.
