Kano is the north's commercial centre and the scrap trade there has its own name, bola jari, and its own conditions. Rolling capacity in Kano and at Katsina gives northern ferrous a destination, and recent state-level action elsewhere in the north is the risk northern dealers actually watch.
Scrap metal prices per kg in Kano
| Scrap type | Price (NGN) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | ₦13,911 / kg | ▲ +2.30% | $5.78 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | ₦1,949 / kg | ▲ +1.25% | $0.81 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | ₦8,423 / kg | ▲ +1.45% | $3.50 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | ₦1,372 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | ₦1,420 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | ₦2,166 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | ₦554 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | ₦7,990 / kg | ▲ +2.15% | $3.32 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | ₦6,715 / kg | ▲ +2.20% | $2.79 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | ₦4,476 / kg | ▲ +2.20% | $1.86 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | ₦1,925 / kg | ▲ +2.56% | $0.80 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | ₦361,001 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | ₦317,681 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | ₦433,201 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | ₦346,561 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap in Nigeria, shown here for Kano. Individual yards quote around this level by grade, volume and condition; the derivation from exchange benchmarks and the exchange rate (1 USD = 1,331.28 NGN) is described in the methodology section below.
Kano scrap price chart (NGN)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in NGN, the same series Kano yards price against. Scroll to zoom and drag to move along the timeline.
Price history could not be loaded.
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The scrap market in Kano
Kano has been a trading city for centuries and the scrap trade fits that pattern: a dense network of collectors and dealers moving material through markets rather than through formal yards. The northern term for the business is bola jari, and it covers the same chain that the south calls iron condemn. Rolling capacity exists in the region, with works recorded at Kano and a larger rolling operation at Katsina, so northern ferrous has somewhere to go without crossing the country.
What northern dealers watch is state policy. In January 2026 the Gombe State government announced a restriction on the scrap trade after a State Security Council meeting, aimed at infrastructure vandalism carried out under cover of dealing. The national dealers association said publicly that the measure was temporary rather than total and that a committee had been formed to agree safeguards. Kano was not the state in question, but the precedent applies across the north: this is a trade where the regulatory risk arrives from a state governor rather than from a federal register.
- State
- Kano State
- Currency
- Nigerian naira (NGN), quoted per kilogram
- Local term
- Bola jari, the northern name for the scrap business
- Regional capacity
- Rolling works recorded at Kano, with larger capacity at Katsina
Where the scrap yards are in Kano
- The city markets, where collectors and dealers consolidate material.
- The industrial areas around Kano, where rolling capacity has historically operated.
- The Katsina corridor, where larger northern rolling capacity sits.
What pays well in Kano
- Sorted ferrous with regional rolling capacity within reach.
- Non-ferrous, which holds value across the whole country regardless of local mills.
- Vehicle and agricultural equipment scrap, a northern supply.
Selling scrap metal in Kano: rules, ID and payment
No federal licence exists, but state governments can and do restrict the trade at short notice, and northern states have been the recent examples. Check the current position in your state before committing to collection as a business. Material from public infrastructure is the reason those restrictions arrive, and no dealer should touch it.
Before any sale, check the live board above, sort by grade and get quotes from two or three buyers; the best scrap price guide covers the routine and the calculator turns a weight into a figure at today's price. To judge whether a local quote is competitive, our note on telling a well-paying yard from a headline rate sets out the benchmark test.
Kano scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in Kano today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about ₦13,911 per kg in NGN. Kano yards typically quote within a few percent of that figure either side, depending on grade, volume and the buyer; the live board above shows all fifteen grades.
What is bola jari?
The northern Nigerian name for the scrap metal business. It describes the same trade the south calls iron condemn: collection, sorting and sale up a chain that ends at a rolling mill.
Is scrap trading restricted in northern Nigeria?
Not uniformly, but state action is the real risk. Gombe State announced a restriction in January 2026 after a security council meeting, and the national dealers association negotiated it as a temporary measure with a committee to agree safeguards. Check the position in your own state.
Does northern ferrous have to travel to Lagos?
Not necessarily. Rolling capacity has operated at Kano and on a larger scale at Katsina, so northern material has regional destinations. Non-ferrous moves nationally regardless.
Are Kano prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the Nigeria indicative level, and Kano yards trade around it rather than exactly on it. Local competition, freight to the nearest consumer and the day's export demand set the spread, which is why two quotes in the same city can differ by several percent on the same morning.
Sources and methodology
The Kano board uses the Nigeria indicative prices: global exchange benchmarks (COMEX copper, CME aluminum and steel, NYMEX platinum and palladium, IMF monthly lead, zinc and nickel) multiplied by typical yard recovery shares, a local market factor of 0.82 and the day's exchange rate. The full method, the recovery shares and the correction policy are on our editorial policy page; local notes on this page are reviewed against published dealer information and reader corrections sent to info@scrappricetoday.com.
Prices are indicative and for information only; they are not offers to buy or sell. Yard quotes in Kano vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in Nigeria · All countries · Catalytic converter prices