The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) pledged to eliminate export barriers and collaborate with relevant agencies to facilitate onion exports.
The Comptroller-General (C-G) of NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, assured onion farmers and other export-focused stakeholders of these efforts in a statement by Abdullahi Maiwada, the service’s spokesperson, on Thursday in Abuja.
“We will remove all known non-tariff barriers and work with other government agencies and stakeholders to create a more facilitating environment for trade,” he said.
A delegation from the Regional Observatory of Onion in West and Central Africa (ORO/AOC), led by President Aliyu Maitasamu, recently visited the NCS Comptroller-General in Abuja.
Maitasamu acknowledged the complexity of regulating cross-border trade, affirmed the association’s readiness to work closely with customs and urged improved coordination mechanisms for onion transit.
He explained that ORO/AOC could support customs operations across the corridor with its expertise and infrastructure.
The C-G noted that in the past six months, NCS has faced pressure from economic operators in the Republic of Benin and Niger to use Nigeria’s transit corridors, especially those essential for onion exports through northeastern Nigeria and the Kamba axis.
According to him, while discussions on transit corridors often focus on imports, the engagement with onion exporters presents an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s export narrative and unlock broader economic benefits.
He underscored the importance of exports in driving economic prosperity, creating job opportunities, supporting a favourable balance of trade and ultimately contributing to GDP growth.
He said that, beyond ensuring compliance, regulatory agencies were required to address legitimate stakeholder concerns, adding that a structured engagement framework was underway.
The NCS recently deepened bilateral ties with the Niger Republic Customs Administration in a high-level meeting with the organisation, led by its Director-General, Muhammadu Yaqouba.
The engagement aimed to strengthen cooperation on the movement of transit goods bound for Niger through Nigeria and to improve information sharing between the two countries.
It also sought to address security challenges along their shared borders, reduce delays along key transit corridors and ensure that legitimate trade contributes optimally to economic growth in both countries.
