• Nigeria-Ghana onion trade resumed after dispute over distribution rights

• Authorities intervened, securing release of seized Nigerian onion shipments

• Ghana remains key export market for Nigerian onions in West Africa

Nigeria-Ghana onion trade has fully resumed after a brief suspension triggered by a dispute over distribution rights, Aliyu Maitasamu Isah, president of the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) told Ecofin Agency. 

In early April, the association halted onion shipments to Ghana following disagreements with certain Ghanaian trader unions, which were demanding that volumes traditionally allocated to the Accra Onion Sellers Association be reassigned to them. Tensions escalated when 15 Nigerian trucks were seized at the Kotoku market in Accra, prompting NOPPM to condition any resumption of trade on the return of the confiscated goods.

“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.

“We Have Always Maintained Excellent Relations With Ghana”

While the episode highlights broader challenges facing intra-regional agricultural trade, Isah described it as an isolated incident.

“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 is a net importer of onions, with demand driven by major urban centers including Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi, making it a key market for suppliers across the sub-region. Nigeria is West Africa’s second-largest onion producer 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.

Isah added that the dispute could serve as an opportunity to further formalize bilateral trade, including improved tracking of trade flows.

“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.