The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has assured onion farmers and export-focused stakeholders of the Service’s unwavering commitment to eliminating non-tariff barriers, resolving operational bottlenecks and fostering an enabling environment for seamless export trade.
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.
“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,” the Comptroller-General stated.
He described the engagement as timely, revealing that in the past six months, the Service had faced sustained pressure from economic operators in Benin and the Niger Republic regarding the use of Nigeria’s transit corridors, particularly routes through the North-East and the Kamba axis.
According to Adeniyi, discussions around transit corridors have largely focused on imports, but the renewed engagement with onion exporters offers an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s export narrative and unlock broader economic gains.
“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.
The CGC further noted that beyond enforcing compliance, regulatory agencies must also address legitimate concerns of stakeholders. He disclosed that 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.
In his remarks, Maitasamu commended the NCS for what he described as a prompt and decisive 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,” he said, while advocating sustained collaboration to ensure smooth and lasting operations in line with earlier assurances given in Kebbi State.
He acknowledged the complexity of regulating cross-border trade and reaffirmed ORO/AOC’s readiness to work closely with Customs by proposing enhanced coordination mechanisms for onion transit. Maitasamu added that the association possesses the infrastructure, expertise and regional presence to support Customs operations, including documentation and compliance management across the corridor.
Highlighting the sector’s economic value, he 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 noted that the Niger Republic and other countries including Algeria, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Cameroon play complementary roles in the regional onion value chain.
He emphasised that Nigeria and the 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 considerations.
Bomodi explained that the proposed token system discussed at the meeting has two core elements — 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 concluded.
