The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has assured onion farmers and export stakeholders of its commitment to eliminating non-tariff barriers and addressing operational bottlenecks to promote smoother export trade.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, gave the assurance recently during a courtesy visit by the Regional Observatory of Onion in West and Central Africa (ORO/AOC), led by its President, Aliyu Maitasamu, at the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja.
Adeniyi said the Service would work closely with relevant government agencies to create a more enabling environment for export-oriented businesses.
“We will remove all known non-tariff barriers and collaborate with other stakeholders to ensure a more facilitating environment for your trade,” the CGC stated.
He described the meeting as timely, noting that in the past six months, the Service had faced pressure from economic operators in the Benin Republic and Niger Republic regarding the use of Nigeria’s transit corridors, particularly routes in the Northeast and along the Kamba axis.
According to him, discussions on transit corridors have largely focused on imports, but engagement with onion exporters presents an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s export drive and boost economic benefits.
“Exports create jobs, support a favourable balance of trade and contribute significantly to GDP growth. This engagement helps us balance the narrative,” Adeniyi said.
He disclosed that following earlier concerns raised by the association, he directed the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation to establish a structured engagement framework with stakeholders.
In his remarks, ORO/AOC President, Aliyu Maitasamu, commended the Customs Service for its prompt intervention following recent disruptions along the export corridor.
He called for sustained collaboration to ensure seamless operations in line with earlier assurances given by the CGC in Kebbi State.
Maitasamu acknowledged the complexities of cross-border trade regulation and expressed the association’s readiness to work closely with Customs, including improved coordination in documentation and compliance management across the corridor.
He highlighted Nigeria’s position as Africa’s second-largest onion producer after Egypt, with an annual output of about 2.1 million metric tonnes.
According to him, the Food and Agriculture Organisation values Nigeria’s onion production at approximately ₦1.17 trillion.
He noted that the Niger Republic and countries such as Algeria, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Cameroon play complementary roles in the regional onion value chain, with Nigeria and Niger remaining the two dominant players within the ECOWAS and Sahel regions.
Also speaking, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, said the engagement aligns with government efforts to balance economic growth with security concerns.
Bomodi explained that a proposed token system discussed at the meeting would focus on data management and infrastructure sustainability.
“One component is data, which the association already has. The other is infrastructure. Trucks operating along these corridors exert pressure on our roads, and the token system will help government recover some maintenance costs over time,” he said.
Stakeholders expressed optimism that strengthened collaboration would enhance export efficiency and support growth in Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
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