NOPPMAN Lifts Onion Export Suspension to Ghana After Diplomatic Talks

News in Brief: 

— Nigerian onion producers and processors have lifted their suspension on onion exports to Ghana, with immediate effect. 

— The decision follows consultations with the Nigerian and Ghanaian governments, and ECOWAS, to resolve difficulties at Kotoku Market.

The National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) has lifted the suspension it imposed on trade with Ghana, following weeks of engagement between both countries.

The association announced the decision in a public notice signed by its President, Alhaji Aliyu Isah Maitasamu, on Wednesday. It revealed that the resumption followed consultations with trade ministries of both countries, diplomatic authorities, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other institutions working to resolve the dispute.

What Caused the Suspension

NOPPMAN had suspended onion exports to Ghana on August 10, 2026, over unresolved difficulties facing Nigerian and Nigerien traders and exporters in the Ghanaian market. The problems centred on the reception, allocation and offloading of onion consignments at Kotoku Market, a major trading hub near Accra, as well as concerns about the safety and free movement of legitimate cross-border traders.

Explaining the decision to lift the suspension, Maitasamu stated that the association acted after subsequent engagements and consultations with relevant stakeholders, and in view of steps being taken to build a more sustainable framework for cross-border onion trade.

"Onion exports from Nigeria to Ghana may resume with immediate effect," he said.

NOPPMAN Sets Conditions for Smooth Trade

The NOPPMAN president urged Nigerian exporters and transporters to operate peacefully and comply with applicable laws, regulations, trade procedures and agreed market arrangements. He also advised exporters to keep proper documentation and meet the requirements of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), ECOWAS, phytosanitary rules, customs and other relevant trade regulations.

The association called on stakeholders in Ghana to reciprocate by ensuring the safe reception, lawful movement, fair market access and uninterrupted offloading of legitimate Nigerian and Nigerien onion consignments.

"Any disagreement or dispute arising from the conduct of onion trade should be addressed through dialogue, consultation and the appropriate dispute-resolution mechanisms, rather than through intimidation, obstruction, violence or retaliatory measures," Maitasamu said.

Call for Long-Term Solution

This is not the first time onion trade between Nigeria and Ghana has been disrupted this year. In April 2026, NOPPMAN halted exports for about five days after Nigerian trucks were allegedly seized at Kotoku Market amid a dispute over distribution rights between Nigerian traders and Ghanaian trader unions. That standoff was resolved after intervention from Nigeria's High Commissioner to Ghana and Ghana's Minister of Trade.

The latest dispute followed a similar pattern. In July, the Regional Observatory of Onion in West and Central Africa (ORO/WCA), also led by Maitasamu, appealed to Ghanaian authorities after several Nigerian trucks were detained at Kotoku Market, warning that the perishable produce was deteriorating daily. ECOWAS later ordered the release of the detained trucks. Maitasamu has said Nigeria exports about 16 truckloads of onions to Ghana weekly, with Niger supplying roughly 10 more, underlining how central the Kotoku corridor is to regional onion supply.

The recurring disruptions have pushed NOPPMAN to press for a longer-term solution. The association has called on Nigeria and ECOWAS to formalise a memorandum of understanding anchored on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and AfCFTA, to replace what it describes as repeated, temporary interventions with a permanent framework governing cross-border onion trade.