NOPPMAN Calls for MoU to Safeguard Onion Trade

The Nigerian Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), led by President Alhaji Isa Aliyu, has called for an urgent roundtable with the Federal Government and countries importing Nigerian onions to negotiate a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to protect cross-border onion trade. Aliyu stated that the agreement should encompass all countries purchasing onions from Nigeria, not just Ghana, to prevent trade disputes and safeguard exporters from losses.

He reported that Nigerian onion exporters have incurred approximately N1.2 billion in losses due to delays at the Kotoku Market in Ghana, where only two trucks are offloaded daily. NOPPMAN seeks a permanent solution to these challenges, advocating for the MoU to be based on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The agreement should clarify market access, truck movement, payment arrangements, and dispute resolution, with ECOWAS serving as a mediator. Aliyu emphasized that the immediate issue is with Ghana, as other markets are functioning without problems.