Nigerian onion trucks seized in Ghana prompt call for federal intervention
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
The Regional Observatory of Onion in West and Central Africa ORO has expressed alarm over the continued seizure of Nigerian onion trucks in Ghana, urging the Nigerian Federal Government to intervene to prevent a regional trade crisis. ORO President Isa Aliyu stated that several trucks loaded with onions have been stranded at Kotoku Market in Ghana since July 21, after Ghanaian onion traders reportedly prevented them from offloading produce. Aliyu, who is also the National President of the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria NOPPMAN, highlighted that this situation is causing significant losses for Nigerian farmers, exporters, and transporters. He warned that the prolonged detention of the perishable goods could undermine Nigeria鈥檚 cross-border trade and violate ECOWAS trade protocols. Despite interventions from the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, the Embassy of the Republic of Niger, and the ECOWAS Trade Directorate, the trucks remain unreleased. Aliyu emphasized that Ghanaian traders enjoy unrestricted access to Nigerian markets, purchasing over 50 trucks of onions from Nigeria without discrimination, while Nigeria exports about 16 trucks weekly to Ghana. He asserted that the blockade violates the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the African Continental Free Trade Area, which ensure the free movement of goods among member states. Aliyu appealed to the Federal Government for diplomatic engagement with Ghana to protect Nigerian bu
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