Nigerian onion producers suspend exports, demand regional trade agreement after N1.2 billion losses in Ghana

NOPPMAN seeks to negotiate and sign a binding Memorandum of Understanding MoU to protect cross-border trade, extending beyond the current dispute with Ghana to cover all importing nations. Alhaji Isa Aliyu, President of NOPPMAN, stated that Nigerian onion exporters have incurred an estimated N1.2 billion loss due to delays and restrictions on offloading consignments at Ghana's Kotoku Market. He emphasized the need for a permanent regional framework to prevent recurring trade disruptions, guided by the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Aliyu clarified that Ghana is currently the only country where NOPPMAN has encountered this problem, and the export suspension to other destinations is a precautionary measure. He alleged that Nigerian onion trucks faced prolonged delays, with consignments offloaded at a rate of only two trucks per day, leading to deterioration and significant financial losses. Despite a meeting in Ghana on August 5, 2026, involving officials and diplomats, Aliyu claimed that a directive from Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Mr. Samson, to offload trucks was not fully implemented.

NOPPMAN maintains that its position is not an attack on Ghana but