The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has assured onion farmers and export stakeholders of its commitment to removing non tariff barriers and addressing operational bottlenecks to facilitate seamless export trade.
The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, gave the assurance on Monday, 9 February 2026, 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, Maitama, Abuja.
Adeniyi reaffirmed the service’s readiness to collaborate with relevant government agencies and industry players to create a more enabling environment for export oriented businesses.
He described the engagement as timely, noting that in 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 in the Northeast and the Kamba axis.
According to him, while conversations around transit corridors often centre on imports, the engagement with onion exporters provides an opportunity to reposition Nigeria’s export narrative and unlock broader economic benefits.
The CGC added that beyond enforcing compliance, regulatory agencies have a responsibility to address legitimate concerns raised by stakeholders. He disclosed that following earlier representations by the association, he directed the Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation,Timi Bomodi , to establish a structured engagement framework to ensure sustained dialogue.
In his remarks, President of ORO/AOC, Aliyu Maitasamu, commended the NCS for what he described as a prompt and decisive intervention following recent disruptions along the export corridor.
While advocating sustained engagement to guarantee smooth and lasting operations, in line with earlier assurances given by the Comptroller-General during a visit to Kebbi State, he acknowledged the complexities of regulating cross-border trade and expressed the association’s readiness to collaborate closely with Customs.
He proposed improved coordination mechanisms for onion transit, noting that ORO/AOC has the infrastructure, technical expertise, and regional presence to support documentation and compliance management across the corridor.
Highlighting the economic significance of the onion sector, Maitasamu disclosed that Nigeria is Africa’s second largest onion producer after Egypt, with an annual output of about 2.1 million metric tonnes. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Nigeria’s onion production is valued at approximately ₦1.17 trillion.
He added 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 the Niger Republic emerging as the most significant players within the ECOWAS and Sahel regions.
The Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, described the engagement as consistent with government efforts to balance economic growth with security considerations.
Bomodi explained that a proposed token system discussed at the meeting would focus on two key components: data and infrastructure.
“One component is the data, which your association already has. The other is infrastructure. Trucks moving across these corridors put pressure on our roads, and the token system will allow the government to recover some of those costs over time for road maintenance,” he said.
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