Onion Stakeholders Advocate for Regulated Trade Over Border Closures

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s onion sector have called for a more structured and regulated trade framework to replace the current policy of outright border closures, warning that existing restrictions are harming exports, revenue, and regional trade integration.

The appeal was made during a meeting in Birnin Kebbi between the Nigeria Customs Service, the Kebbi State Government, and industry representatives.

The President of the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), Isa Aliyu, stated that the onion trade along the Sanya corridor with the Benin Republic is a vital regional supply route driven by production needs. He noted that Kebbi State, especially Aleiro LGA, is a major national hub supplying markets across West Africa.

Aliyu argued that the current border management fails to account for the economic importance of perishable onion exports, causing delays and financial losses. “Onions cannot be treated like durable cargo. Every hour of delay leads to quality deterioration and financial loss,” he said.

He explained that border closures have triggered price crashes in producing states, disrupted farm evacuation, and pushed trade into informal channels, undermining regulation and revenue collection.

The NOPPMAN president contended that a monitored reopening would improve transparency, strengthen customs oversight, and boost government earnings more effectively than a shutdown. He linked this move to national goals like economic diversification, non-oil export growth, GDP contribution, job creation, and improved security through youth employment.

Participants emphasized the need for collaboration between agencies and state governments to modernize border operations in line with agricultural trade realities. The meeting concluded with calls for policy adjustments that balance border security with the protection of farmers’ livelihoods and the sustainability of agricultural export value chains.