Lere Olayinka blasts Igbo traders over Chinese protest
Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant for Public Communication and Social Media to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has criticized a group of Igbo traders protesting against the presence of Chinese nationals at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex.
Olayinka’s remarks came in response to the traders’ demonstration, which asserted that Chinese businesses were engaging in direct retail sales at lower prices, adversely impacting Nigerian retailers.
In his post on X, Olayinka challenged the traders’ demands for the Chinese merchants to vacate the market, questioning their stance on foreign participation in local commerce.
“Did you come to Lagos to trade? So did the Chinese,” he wrote, addressing the protesters. “Why demand that they leave the market? This is your father’s land, isn’t it? Your reasoning is questionable.”
His comments reflect ongoing tensions between local traders and foreign businesses operating in Nigeria.
