By Awyetu Asabe Hope
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has pledged to support onion farmers and exporters by removing non-tariff barriers and addressing operational bottlenecks hindering exports.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by the Regional Observatory of Onion in West and Central Africa (ORO/AOC) to the Customs House in Abuja.
Adeniyi said the Service would work with relevant agencies to create a more enabling environment for export trade, adding that Customs would stand “solidly behind” onion farmers and other export-oriented stakeholders.
Nigeria produces over 1.4 million metric tonnes of onions annually, valued at more than ₦1.17tn, but exporters face challenges including poor logistics, infrastructure gaps and regulatory hurdles.
The CGC noted that the engagement was timely amid growing pressure from economic operators in Benin and Niger over the use of Nigeria’s transit corridors, particularly routes in the Northeast and the Kamba axis.