Customs Assures Onion Farmers, Exporters Of Support

The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, has assured onion farmers and export-focused stakeholders of the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) commitment to removing non-tariff barriers, addressing operational bottlenecks and working with relevant agencies to create an enabling environment for export trade.

CGC Adeniyi gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by the Regional Observatory of Onion in West and Central Africa (ORO/AOC), led by its President, Aliyu Maitasamu, to the Customs House, Maitama, Abuja.

He explained that the engagement was timely, noting that over the past six months, the Service had faced sustained pressure from economic operators in Benin and the Niger Republic over the use of Nigeria’s transit corridors, particularly routes through northeastern Nigeria and the Kamba axis.

According to him, while discussions on transit corridors often focus on imports, the engagement with onion exporters presents an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s export narrative and unlock broader economic benefits.

“What you are doing will help us balance the story. We will not only be talking about imports and transit, but also about exports. Exports bring economic prosperity, create employment, support a favourable balance of trade and ultimately contribute to GDP growth,” CGC Adeniyi stated.

He added that, beyond urging compliance, regulatory agencies also have a responsibility to address legitimate stakeholder concerns as well as representations by the association.

The CGC therefore directed the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation to establish a structured engagement framework.

On his part, ORO/AOC President Maitasamu commended the NCS for what he described as a prompt and decisive intervention following recent disruptions along the corridor.

Maitasamu acknowledged the complexity of regulating cross-border trade and affirmed the association’s readiness to work closely with Customs, proposing improved coordination mechanisms for onion transit noting that the organization possesses the infrastructure, expertise and regional presence to support Customs operations, including documentation and compliance management across the corridor.

Highlighting the sector’s economic significance, he disclosed that Nigeria was Africa’s second-largest onion producer after Egypt, with an annual output of about 2.1 million metric tonnes. He added that data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation values Nigeria’s onion production at approximately ₦1.17 trillion, with the Niger Republic and other countries such as Algeria, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Cameroon playing complementary roles in the regional onion value chain.

Ene Idoko, Edited By Grace Namiji