The Regional Observatory of Onion in West and Central Africa (ORO/WCA) has confirmed the release of five Nigerian onion trucks previously detained at Kotoku Market in Accra, Ghana. 

In a statement issued on Saturday, July 25, 2026, ORO/WCA President Aliyu Maitasamu stated that the release followed an official directive from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), preventing a potential diplomatic and economic rift between Nigeria and Ghana.

The five trucks, carrying perishable onion consignments, had been blocked from offloading since Tuesday, July 21, by local Ghanaian market associations. Maitasamu noted that the release on Friday allowed exporters to prevent further product spoilage and financial degradation. 

The association commended the intervention of key diplomatic and commercial entities, including Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, both High Commissions, and the ECOWAS Trade Directorate. 

Under existing supply agreements, Nigerian exporters ship approximately 16 trucks of onions to Ghana weekly alongside 10 trucks from the Republic of Niger, while Ghanaian merchants purchase upwards of 50 trucks weekly from Nigerian markets without restrictions.

While acknowledging the immediate resolution, ORO/WCA warned that the underlying structural friction in West African agricultural corridors remains unaddressed. 

The regional body called on the ECOWAS Commission to convene a multi-lateral dialogue involving Nigeria, Ghana, and the Niger Republic to establish a binding operational agreement. 

ORO proposed anchoring this long-term framework on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), incorporating standardised phytosanitary rules, transparent market access guidelines, and clear cross-border dispute resolution protocols.

Source: Vanguard
Image Credit: Daily Observer