The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to standardise onion export procedures across all land borders to safeguard the regional trade sector valued at over N200 billion.
City Business News reports that this was revealed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs (DCG) in charge of Enforcement, Inspection, and Investigation, Timi Bomodi during a meeting on the Standard Operating Procedure for the export of onions through designated land borders at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters, Abuja.
The meeting was convened following a letter from the president of the Regional Observatory of the Onion Sector in West and Central Africa, Aliyu Maitasamu Isah, who requested a standardized format for onion exports so that the same procedure would apply at every Nigerian border.
Speaking at the meeting, DCG Bomodi said onions are highly perishable and prone to damage in transit, noting that prolonged delays cause huge losses to both farmers and businessmen. “It is not the desire of the Nigeria Customs Service to put traders in a situation where they lose instead of making a profit. One of the major pillars of the Service is the facilitation of trade,” he said.
DCG Bomodi explained that the Federal Government is serious about agriculture and export capacity, citing huge investments in cold chain storage to help agricultural producers preserve their products, extend shelf life, and enhance competitiveness. He added that Customs will play its role to support the government and assist members of the association to move their goods seamlessly within the country and across the sub-region.
According to him, the onion export framework is focused on trade within the ECOWAS sub-region, where onions are considered an originating good, wholly obtained from Nigerian farms. He noted that Nigerian onion producers are among the largest in the sub-region, with their products reaching Ghana, Mali, and beyond. He also stressed the need to create a framework that makes it easier to move produce from Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano, and other producing states to any exit border.
DCG Bomodi further disclosed that data from the Federal Ministry of Finance estimates the onion trade, both local and regional, at over N200 billion (about $200 million). He described it as a huge industry with the potential to boost foreign currency earnings, enhance farmers’ capacity, and open doors to other parts of Africa, Europe, and America if Nigeria establishes dominance within the West African corridor.
He also emphasized the importance of documentation, standardization, and quality control, noting that export goods face strict global regulations on herbicides, pesticides, packaging, and sizing. The NCS collaborates with agencies such as Plant Quarantine, NAFDAC, and others to ensure products meet minimum export requirements, including the phytosanitary certificate certifying that plant-based products are suitable for human consumption.
In his remarks, the President of the Regional Observatory of the Onion Sector in West and Central Africa, Aliyu Maitasamu Isah appealed to the NCS to create special strategic measures to ease onion exports. He further thanked the NCS for facilitating legitimate trade with neighbouring countries and intervening to reduce border harassment and extortion.
