Onion trade between Nigeria and Ghana has fully resumed after a short suspension caused by a dispute over distribution rights, according to Aliyu Maitasamu Isah, president of the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), in a statement to Ecofin Agency.
The disruption began in early April when the association halted onion exports to Ghana following disagreements with some Ghanaian trader unions. The unions had demanded that onion volumes traditionally allocated to the Accra Onion Sellers Association be reassigned to them.
The situation escalated after 15 Nigerian trucks were seized at the Kotoku market in Accra, leading NOPPMAN to insist that trade would only resume once the confiscated goods were returned.
“Amid the dispute, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana and Ghana’s trade minister intervened. They held talks and reminded the Ghanaian unions that international trade is governed by established frameworks including World Trade Organization rules, the African Continental Free Trade Area and the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme. These frameworks cannot be disregarded. The Ghanaian trade minister subsequently ordered that the Nigerian onions be unloaded and returned. This was carried out, allowing trade to resume. The onion trade dispute between Nigeria and Ghana is now resolved,” Isah said.
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Reflecting on the incident, Isah emphasized that it does not define the broader relationship between both countries, describing it as an isolated case despite the wider challenges often seen in regional agricultural trade.
“We have always maintained excellent relations with Ghana. We have been trading with them for 30 to 40 years without major difficulties, until this incident. Fortunately, the Ghanaian authorities took commendable steps to restore a stable trading environment for all those engaged in business in the country,” he said.
Ghana remains a major destination for onion exports due to strong demand from key cities such as Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi, reinforcing its importance as a market within the sub-region. Nigeria, meanwhile, is the second-largest onion producer in West Africa after Niger.
“Ghana is extremely important to us. It is one of the largest markets for Nigerian onions in West Africa, probably the first or second after Côte d’Ivoire. Last year, nearly 220,000 metric tons of onions were exported from Nigeria to the West African sub-region, of which around 100,000 metric tons went to Ghana alone,” Isah said.
He also noted that the incident could serve as a turning point for improving how trade between both countries is structured and monitored.
“Most of the trade we do with Ghana remains informal and poorly tracked. Some studies show that this informal trade between Ghana and other African countries, including Nigeria far exceeds what official statistics reflect. Better data would allow a more accurate assessment of the scale of this relationship. This dispute could help formalize trade further, improve tracking of goods flows, and strengthen ties with our Ghanaian partners,” he said.
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Image Credit: Britannica
