Customs Boss Assures Onion Exporters of Support, Pledges Removal of Trade Barriers
Customs Boss Assures Onion Exporters of Support, Pledges Removal of Trade Barriers
Customs Boss Assures Onion Exporters of Support, Pledges Removal of Trade Barriers
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 eliminating non-tariff barriers, addressing operational bottlenecks and fostering a more enabling environment for export trade.
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CGC Adeniyi gave the assurance on Monday, 9 February 2026, when he received a delegation from the Regional Observatory of Onion in West and Central Africa (ORO/AOC), led by its President, Aliyu Maitasamu, during a courtesy visit to the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja.
He described the meeting as timely, noting that in the past six months, the Service had faced sustained pressure from economic operators in Benin Republic and Niger Republic regarding the use of Nigeria’s transit corridors, particularly routes through the North-East and the Kamba axis.
“So let me assure onion farmers and other export-oriented stakeholders that the NCS will stand solidly behind you. We will remove all known non-tariff barriers and work with other government agencies and stakeholders to create a more facilitating environment for your trade,” Adeniyi stated.
The Customs boss explained that while conversations around transit corridors often centre on imports, engagement with onion exporters offers an opportunity to reshape the narrative and strengthen Nigeria’s export drive.
“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,” he said.
He added that regulatory agencies must go beyond demanding compliance to addressing legitimate concerns raised by stakeholders. According to him, following earlier representations by the association, he directed the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation to establish a structured engagement framework with the exporters.
In his remarks, ORO/AOC President Aliyu Maitasamu commended the NCS for its prompt intervention following recent disruptions along the corridor.
“With recent developments and the reopening now in effect, we are here to appreciate the NCS for its prompt action,” Maitasamu said, calling for sustained dialogue to ensure smooth and lasting operations in line with assurances earlier given by the CGC in Kebbi State.
He acknowledged the complexities involved in regulating cross-border trade and expressed the association’s readiness to collaborate closely with Customs. Maitasamu proposed improved coordination mechanisms for onion transit, noting that ORO/AOC possesses the infrastructure, expertise and regional presence to support documentation and compliance management across the corridor.
Highlighting the sector’s economic significance, he revealed that Nigeria is Africa’s second-largest onion producer after Egypt, with an annual output of about 2.1 million metric tonnes. Citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), he valued Nigeria’s onion production at approximately ₦1.17 trillion.
He further noted that while countries such as Niger Republic, Algeria, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Cameroon play complementary roles in the regional onion value chain, Nigeria and Niger Republic remain the two most significant players in onion production and exchange within the ECOWAS and Sahel regions.
Earlier, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, described the engagement as consistent with government efforts to balance economic growth with security concerns.
He explained that the proposed token system discussed at the meeting is built around two core 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,” Bomodi said.
The engagement underscores the renewed push by the Nigeria Customs Service to deepen export facilitation, strengthen stakeholder collaboration and position the country’s agricultural commodities more competitively within the regional and global markets.
Customs Boss Assures Onion Exporters of Support, Pledges Removal of Trade Barriers
