Lagos’s Chinatown (or China Commercial City, 中国商城) was built in 2004. It was raided in 2006 by Nigerian customs authorities and temporarily shut down. A Nigerian lawyer connected to the raid claims that Chinese were given impunity to sell pirated products. Chinese vendors themselves state that they are minimally profitable or unprofitable, and complain of corruption and theft by customs officials. Vendors therein formerly a wide range of products including textiles, doors, electronics, shoes, bags, books, and films, but by 2011, many vendors had closed shop and returned to China; the range of products on offer had also shrunk, with traders stating that the only profitable businesses were those selling shirts, jeans, or shoes.
Other locations with concentrations of Chinese vendors include Old Dragon City (老龙城), New Dragon City (新龙城), and Jinmao Commercial Building (金贸商厦). As of 2006 there were estimated to be about 250 Chinese trading companies operating in Nigeria, with a total turnover of about US$300 million.Such vendors also often find themselves the target of robberies and violent crimes
