NOPPMAN orders immediate resumption, urges traders to comply with cross-border rules
Onion exports from Nigeria to Ghana are set to resume immediately following renewed consultations between traders' associations, government authorities and regional institutions to address difficulties that had disrupted the cross-border trade.
The National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) announced the lifting of its suspension in a public notice signed by its President, Alhaji Aliyu Maitasamu, on Wednesday.
The association had earlier halted onion exports to Ghana following complaints over the treatment of Nigerian and Nigerien onion traders and exporters operating in the Ghanaian market.
The dispute centred largely on the reception, allocation and offloading of onion consignments at Kotoku Market, as well as concerns about the safety and unhindered movement of legitimate traders and their goods.
Export suspension lifted
According to Maitasamu, the decision to reopen the trade route followed a series of engagements and consultations with relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Trade of Nigeria and Ghana, diplomatic authorities, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other institutions.
Explaining the development, he said the association had taken the decision in recognition of steps being made towards establishing a more sustainable arrangement for the movement and marketing of onions across the two countries.
“Onion exports from Nigeria to Ghana may resume with immediate effect,” Maitasamu said.
The announcement is expected to provide relief to onion producers, exporters, transporters and marketers whose businesses depend on the smooth movement of the commodity across the Nigeria-Ghana trade corridor.
NOPPMAN warns traders
While lifting the suspension, NOPPMAN urged Nigerian exporters and transporters to ensure that their operations remained peaceful and compliant with relevant laws and regulations.
The association advised traders to observe established trade procedures and agreed market arrangements, stressing the importance of maintaining proper documentation for their consignments.
Exporters were also urged to comply with requirements under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), ECOWAS protocols, phytosanitary regulations, customs procedures and other applicable trade rules.
The association said adherence to these requirements would help prevent further misunderstandings and facilitate smoother movement of agricultural commodities between the two countries.
‘Stakeholders must reciprocate’
NOPPMAN also called on stakeholders in Ghana to reciprocate the decision by ensuring that legitimate Nigerian and Nigerien onion consignments receive safe and lawful treatment.
The association specifically appealed for fair market access, safe movement and uninterrupted offloading of consignments at designated markets.
Maitasamu stressed that disagreements arising from the onion trade should not be allowed to escalate into confrontations capable of disrupting regional commerce.
“Any disagreement or dispute arising from the conduct of onion trade should be addressed through dialogue, consultation and the appropriate dispute-resolution mechanisms, rather than through intimidation, obstruction, violence or retaliatory measures,” he said.
Dispute centred on Kotoku Market
The suspension had emerged against the backdrop of growing complaints by onion traders and exporters from Nigeria and Niger over difficulties accessing the Ghanaian market.
Kotoku Market, one of the major destinations for onion consignments, became a particular focus of the complaints, with traders raising concerns over how their goods were received, allocated and offloaded.
The disruption sparked wider concerns about the potential consequences for agricultural commodity trade across West Africa, particularly for businesses and consumers that rely on uninterrupted cross-border movement.
Onions are among the agricultural commodities traded extensively across the region, making disruptions along major trade routes capable of affecting farmers, transporters, wholesalers, retailers and consumers.
Push for permanent solution
Nigeria and Ghana remain important participants in regional trade under the ECOWAS framework, while AfCFTA provides a wider continental platform for expanding intra-African commerce.
Against this background, NOPPMAN said the latest decision to lift the suspension was intended to support ongoing efforts to develop a permanent and mutually acceptable framework for onion trading between the affected countries.
Such an arrangement, the association said, should protect the interests of producers, exporters, transporters, marketers and consumers while promoting orderly and peaceful regional commerce.
NOPPMAN reaffirmed its commitment to “peaceful regional trade, food security, economic cooperation and the protection of the legitimate interests of Nigerian onion farmers, traders and exporters.”
The association also acknowledged the interventions of government agencies, diplomatic missions, ECOWAS and other stakeholders in efforts to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
Following the announcement, NOPPMAN directed its members and other stakeholders to take note of the immediate lifting of the suspension and resume their activities in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations and agreed trade arrangements.
The move now places the responsibility on traders and authorities on both sides of the border to ensure that the renewed flow of onions is sustained without a return to the disruptions that prompted the suspension.