The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has successfully brokered the release of five Nigerian trucks laden with onions that were detained at Kotoku Market in Ghana, defusing a standoff that risked escalating into a full-blown diplomatic row between Africa’s two largest economies.
The Regional Observatory of Onion in West and Central Africa (ORO/WCA) confirmed on Saturday that the trucks, held since July 21, were freed on Friday and permitted to offload their highly perishable cargo following direct intervention by the regional bloc. ORO/WCA President Aliyu Maitasamu hailed the development as a timely step that prevented further economic losses and reaffirmed ECOWAS’ commitment to regional trade and cooperation.
The detention began when Ghanaian onion traders blocked the Nigerian trucks from offloading, despite multiple diplomatic overtures. The association had previously raised the alarm, warning that prolonged delays were causing significant financial losses to Nigerian exporters, farmers, and transporters dependent on cross-border commerce. ORO disclosed that the matter had been escalated through the ECOWAS Trade Directorate, with Nigeria’s Trade Director formally engaging his Ghanaian counterpart, alongside interventions by both nations’ high commissions.
While welcoming the resolution, ORO stressed that the release addresses only the immediate challenge and does not resolve the structural issues that continue to disrupt the movement of agricultural produce across West Africa. “The underlying issues that have repeatedly disrupted the movement of onions within the region remain unresolved and require a sustainable, long-term solution,” Maitasamu said.
The association is now urging ECOWAS to convene a regional stakeholders’ meeting involving the governments of Nigeria, Ghana, and the Niger Republic, alongside producers, traders, and relevant institutions, to develop a common framework for onion trade. According to ORO, the proposed framework should align with the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), while providing harmonised quality standards, transparent trading rules, improved market access, and effective dispute resolution mechanisms.
Maitasamu noted that Ghanaian traders purchase more than 50 trucks of onions from Nigeria weekly without discrimination, while Nigeria currently exports about 16 trucks to Ghana every week, with the Niger Republic supplying another 10 trucks under existing trade arrangements. He drew attention to what he called a clear case of imbalance and unfair treatment, noting that while Ghanaian traders operate freely in Nigeria, their Nigerian counterparts are subjected to harassment and blockade at Kotoku Market.
“A neutral, rules-based regional mechanism will not only prevent the recurrence of similar disputes but also strengthen regional integration, promote food security, facilitate intra-African trade, and enhance the competitiveness of the onion value chain across West and Central Africa,” Maitasamu added. He reaffirmed the association’s commitment to working with ECOWAS, member states, and other stakeholders to develop practical and sustainable solutions that would strengthen regional cooperation and boost agricultural trade across West and Central Africa.
