NOPPMAN Seeks ECOWAS’ Intervention Over Ghana Onion Truck Blockade

The National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) is urgently calling on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to intervene in the ongoing restriction of Nigerian and Nigerien onion trucks at Ghana's Kotoku Market. The association reports that these protracted delays have led to significant financial losses, estimated at ₦1.2 billion, and the deterioration of highly perishable onions.

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Our concern is with the unilateral imposition of restrictions on legitimate cross-border trade by market actors, particularly where such restrictions are inconsistent with arrangements previously agreed by relevant stakeholders.

Alhaji Aliyu Isah Maitasamu, NOPPMAN's National President, stated that despite previous interventions and resolutions by both Nigerian and Ghanaian governments, including diplomats and trade officials, Nigerian trucks continue to face difficulties offloading their consignments. He emphasized that these restrictions are not only harming traders but also destabilizing the vital cross-border food supply chains between the two West African nations.

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No market association or group of traders should have the power to unilaterally determine the movement, allocation or offloading of legitimate consignments originating from another ECOWAS Member State.

Maitasamu clarified that NOPPMAN's concern is not with the Ghanaian people or traders but with the unilateral imposition of restrictions by market actors, which he argues are inconsistent with previously agreed arrangements. He stressed that no single market association should unilaterally control the movement of legitimate cross-border trade within ECOWAS.

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The conversations we have had over these two days must now become commitments. Standardization cannot remain an aspiration – it must become our collective practice.

To prevent future occurrences, NOPPMAN has proposed the development of a formal Memorandum of Agreement. This agreement, guided by ECOWAS trade liberalization schemes and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), would establish clear rules for market access, truck movement, allocation of consignments, and dispute resolution. The association seeks a permanent and fair system to ensure legitimate trade continues without disruption.

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Building a globally respected Nigerian gastronomy industry requires collaboration across government, business, education, hospitality and every stakeholder in the food value chain. This summit is only the beginning.