ShopRite Nigeria is facing growing turmoil as workers in several states staged protests over months of unpaid salaries, widespread store closures, and uncertainty surrounding their jobs.
Employees say they have not received salaries since December 2025, a situation that sparked demonstrations in Akure, Ondo State; Warri, Delta State; and other locations across the country. The unrest has significantly disrupted operations nationwide, with many ShopRite outlets either shut down completely or operating at minimal capacity.
Customers have also felt the impact, reporting empty shelves, limited product availability, and supply chain disruptions—clear signs of the retailer’s mounting financial challenges.
An insider told SaharaReporters that workers have been pushed into severe hardship, struggling to meet basic needs as salary payments continue to be delayed.
During the protests, workers displayed banners calling for immediate payment of outstanding wages, remittance of 10 months’ unpaid pension contributions, issuance of clearance letters under the National Housing Fund scheme, payment of redundancy benefits, and an end to plans to transfer them to another employer.
Sources attributed ShopRite’s difficulties to Nigeria’s tough economic climate, including foreign exchange instability, rising inflation, and weakened consumer spending.
The company’s new management has acknowledged the challenges, saying it is pursuing a restructuring strategy that includes greater reliance on local supply chains and the adoption of smaller store formats.
In a letter dated February 2, 2026, addressed to the National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees (NUSDE), Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited—operators of ShopRite—outlined the outcome of a board meeting held on January 29, 2026.
The company admitted it is grappling with prolonged store suspensions, phased reopening plans, liquidity constraints, legal issues limiting access to some bank accounts, and mounting operational liabilities.
It disclosed that a workforce restructuring exercise has been approved, affecting stores not slated for reopening in the near term as well as what it described as excess head office staff under its current operating model. According to the letter, updates on store reopenings are expected within 90 to 180 days.
On the issue of unpaid salaries, the company acknowledged the arrears and the hardship faced by workers but said payment timelines would depend on liquidity and access to funds.
“Although we cannot yet provide specific payment dates, we are working very hard to resolve this important matter,” the company said, adding that salaries would be paid as operations resume and funds become available.
The letter, signed by Kyari Bukar, Chairman of the Board Governance Committee, also assured the union that the restructuring process would comply with labour laws and existing collective agreements, while encouraging continued engagement with NUSDE.
Despite these assurances, workers remain unconvinced, insisting that commitments without clear timelines offer little relief. As protests persist and operations remain unstable, the future of ShopRite Nigeria—and the livelihoods of thousands of workers—continues to hang in the balance.
