Ghana onion crisis: NOPPMAN seeks ECOWAS intervention

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By Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto

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SOKOTO: The National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to intervene in the continued restriction of Nigerian and Nigerien onion trucks from offloading their consignments at the Kotoku Market in Ghana.

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The association warned that the restrictions were causing severe financial losses to onion exporters and transporters while exposing the perishable commodity to deterioration and waste.

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In a statement issued by its National President, Alhaji Aliyu Isah Maitasamu, NOPPMAN said the situation had persisted despite interventions and resolutions reached by senior officials of the Nigerian and Ghanaian governments.

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Maitasamu acknowledged efforts by the Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, diplomats, government officials and other stakeholders to resolve the dispute.

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He, however, expressed concern that Nigerian onion trucks continued to face restrictions on the offloading of their consignments at the market.

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“Despite these interventions and the resolutions reached, Nigerian onion trucks continue to face restrictions in the offloading of their consignments at Kotoku Market,” he said.

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According to him, the prolonged delays were causing substantial losses to exporters and transporters, while the perishable nature of onions meant that every additional day of delay increased the risk of spoilage and financial losses for farmers, traders and other participants in the value chain.

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The NOPPMAN president stressed that the association’s concerns were not directed at the Ghanaian people or traders, noting that Nigeria and Ghana had longstanding diplomatic, economic and people-to-people relations.

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“Our concern is not with the people or traders of Ghana. Nigeria and Ghana have longstanding economic, diplomatic and people-to-people relations, and we remain committed to peaceful and mutually beneficial trade between our two countries,” he said.

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Maitasamu, however, criticised what he described as unilateral restrictions on legitimate cross-border trade by market actors, particularly where such actions contradicted agreements reached by relevant authorities and stakeholders.

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He argued that no market association or group of traders should have the authority to unilaterally determine the movement, allocation or offloading of legitimate consignments originating from another ECOWAS member state.

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Against this backdrop, NOPPMAN urged ECOWAS to intervene as a neutral mediator and bring the governments of Nigeria and Ghana, trade authorities, onion associations and other stakeholders together to find a lasting solution.

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The association also proposed a formal Memorandum of Agreement to regulate cross-border onion trade, anchored on regional frameworks, including the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

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It said the agreement should clearly provide for market access, movement of trucks, offloading and allocation of consignments, as well as mechanisms for resolving future disputes.

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“We are seeking a permanent and fair system. We believe the time has come to move from temporary interventions to a permanent solution,” Maitasamu said.

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He maintained that a transparent and predictable framework would protect legitimate traders, prevent future disputes and strengthen food security, regional integration and intra-African trade.

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NOPPMAN reaffirmed its readiness to engage the governments of Nigeria and Ghana, ECOWAS, market associations and other stakeholders towards finding a sustainable resolution, warning that continued restrictions could deepen losses and further disrupt an important agricultural trade corridor in West Africa.

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