Scrap dealers halt supplies nationwide in dispute with steel makers

The National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria has begun a 15-day nationwide warning strike over a dispute with iron-smelting companies concerning scrap-metal prices and weighing procedures. Aminu Hassan Soja, the association’s deputy national president, announced the action at a news conference in Kano on Thursday. He said members had been directed to stop supplying scrap to steel-producing companies from October 1, 2026.

Soja alleged that some companies reduced the agreed value of scrap after delivery, leaving dealers with substantial losses. He said the loss on a single truckload could reach three to four million naira, depending on the quantity and deductions imposed. The association also complained about weighing practices at company facilities.

Soja alleged that dealers sometimes delivered a tonne of scrap but were paid for considerably less, claiming that a shipment of 1,000 kilograms could be recorded as between 600kg and 750kg. He said members had been told that international-market conditions, geopolitical tensions and excess stocks had reduced demand and made cheaper imported materials available. Soja questioned why those developments should be used to reduce payments to local dealers if lower raw-material costs were not also reflected in finished-steel prices.

The association further raised concerns about the specifications of reinforcement bars produced by some manufacturers. Soja alleged that some rods marketed under particular measurements could fall below the stated dimensions, warning that such practices could affect construction. He called for Federal Government intervention, saying the companies’ conduct had pushed many young people out of the scrap business.

The association says the stoppage is intended to draw attention to its complaints and force engagement with the affected steel companies.