A supermarket owned by a Chinese company in Nigeria’s capital Abuja has been closed by authorities following allegations it was refusing entry to African customers.
The Abuja supermarket reportedly “exclusively allowed people of Chinese origin to enter”, Nigeria’s consumer protection agency said on X.
The owner of the supermarket was summoned. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria has denied accusations of racism.
The supermarket is a tenant in a building managed by the China General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC). Boladale Adeyinka, an official at the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission of Nigeria (FCCPC), said the agency had launched an investigation into the allegations.
This follows widespread outrage on social media after some Nigerians shared their experiences of apparently being turned away by security when they tried to go to the supermarket.
In one of the videos, a man said he discovered the supermarket online but was refused entry to the complex where it is located.
“At the door, the security guards told me that the supermarket was strictly for Chinese people. If you are Nigerian you cannot enter or buy anything“, he said in the clip posted to X, formerly Twitter.
In another video on X, a group of Nigerians are seen visiting a building to verify reports that non-Chinese shoppers were being turned away.
A security guard at the entrance appears to tell them that the supermarket has cut off access to Nigerians since January.
Several Nigerians called for the supermarket to be closed, including former senator Shehu Sani, who said any store in Nigeria that was not accessible to citizens “should be forcibly opened or demolished.”
In a statement cited by local media, the CGCC said it stood for “equality and inclusiveness.”
“Our principles are to strengthen friendship between the people of the two countries and promote economic development,” she added.
The FCCPC cited building administrator Sanusi Shuabiu as saying the supermarket primarily sold Chinese groceries and that although it was initially opened to serve the building’s tenants, it allowed entry to outside customers, including non-Chinese visitors.
The owner of the supermarket has not yet commented.
She has been summoned to appear before the consumer protection agency by Wednesday.
The monitoring agency says the supermarket will remain closed until it complies with the summons.
According to the Statista website, Nigeria has a Chinese population of less than 10,000 people, highlighting the importance of addressing allegations of discrimination within the community.
