FG appeals to scrap dealers to suspend strike, resume negotiations

The Federal Government has appealed to the National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria (NASWDEN) to suspend its ongoing strike in the steel sector and return to the negotiation table.

The appeal was made by the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, in a statement issued in Abuja.

The statement was signed by Tine-Iulun M. A, Head of the Press and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Steel Development.

The intervention comes amid the ongoing industrial action affecting the nation’s steel sector, with the government urging the association to reconsider its position and embrace dialogue to resolve the dispute.

The minister called on NASWDEN to return to negotiations, signalling the government’s effort to find a peaceful resolution to the disagreement.

The Minister urged the union to sheath its sword “in the interest of industrial harmony, mutual understanding, and the overall stability and development of Nigeria’s steel sector.”

The industrial action follows a formal grievance submitted by NASWDEN to the Ministry through the National Steel Council.

The dealers raised concerns over several contentious issues, including the alleged undervaluation of scrap metals, sharp practices in weighing scale deductions, direct scrap trading by foreign and local steel manufacturers, and the influx of imported billets—practices the association claims systematically marginalize local dealers within the value chain.

Acknowledging the legitimacy of these complaints, the Minister stated that the ministry is actively working toward an equitable resolution.

‘The Ministry recognises the seriousness and importance of these concerns and is currently giving them due consideration in consultation with the National Steel Council, with a view to developing practical, balanced, and sustainable institutional measures to address the issues raised,” the statement read.

To resolve the impasse, the Ministry has set up a mediation team headed by the Permanent Secretary and the Executive Secretary of the National Steel Council to bring NASWDEN leadership and steel production companies to the negotiation table.

Audu stressed that uninhibited operations across the steel supply chain remain critical to achieving the Federal Government’s long-term targets under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“No individual or group interest should undermine the broader national objective of building a viable steel industry capable of supporting Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic transformation,” the Minister emphasised.

He added that full cooperation among stakeholders is vital if Nigeria is to reach its strategic target of 10 million metric tonnes of annual domestic steel production by 2030—a benchmark intended to boost local employment, increase value addition, and curb the nation’s reliance on steel imports.

Reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to maintaining a fair operational environment, the statement assured all parties that constructive dialogues would begin immediately to ensure a lasting resolution.

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