Nigeria’s onion exports to neighbours top 1.6M bags, but go unrecorded
Informal onion trade to West African countries continues to grow, yet much of it remains missing from official export statistics.
NIGERIA – Nigeria exported more than 1.6 million bags of onions to neighbouring countries in recent months, but the transactions were not recorded in national trade data, officials confirmed this week.
Speaking during a Memorandum of Understanding signing event between the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), NEPC Executive Director/CEO Nonye Ayeni raised concerns about the economic impact of untracked informal exports.
“The reports from the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) show that over 1.6 million bags of onions were traded informally to Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, and Niger Republic,” she said.
“These impressive achievements were not captured in the national export trade statistics, which poses real problems for planning.”
Ayeni explained that informal cross-border trade plays a significant role in the Nigerian economy, especially in the agricultural sector. However, because these transactions are rarely documented, they limit Nigeria’s position in international discussions and affect domestic policy decisions.
“It weakens Nigeria’s voice in regional and global trade negotiations, it denies informal traders the recognition and support they need to thrive as well as diminishes Nigeria’s economic potential, especially the vital contributions of women, youth, and MSMEs,” she said.
Missing data, missed opportunities
While Nigeria remains one of Africa’s top onion producers alongside Niger and Mali, much of its trade flows through informal channels that bypass customs documentation. Most onions come from key regions like Kano, Kaduna, and Sokoto, and are then moved by road across porous borders.
According to Ayeni, “Existing trade data primarily capture activities within the formal sector, offering limited visibility into informal export trade transactions, despite their significant volume and economic impact.”
The agreement signed between NEPC and NBS aims to close this gap by strengthening data collection systems. This, Ayeni said, marks an important moment in improving the country’s export planning.
Onion trade in West Africa: What’s ahead
The West African onion market is expanding steadily. Niger is showing the fastest growth in production, while Egypt continues to dominate high-quality exports to both African and global markets. Countries like Mali and Burkina Faso are also increasing their output.
Trade experts believe that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could boost onion exports further. If countries invest more in cold storage and processing, they can improve product quality and reduce waste.
As cross-border trade rises, experts stress the need for governments to build stronger systems that track goods moving through informal channels.
For Nigeria, tapping into the full value of its onion sector depends not just on producing more, but on properly documenting and supporting the trade that is already happening.
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