Onion Supply to Ghana Under Threat as Trucks Seized in Nigeria

Onion Supply to Ghana Under Threat as Trucks Seized in Nigeria

April 6, 2026

The supply of onions to Ghana faces a potential disruption following the seizure of trucks transporting the commodity through Nigeria, industry stakeholders have revealed.

Spokesperson for the onion sellers association, Mustapha Sulemana Talimu, disclosed that the situation arose after a dispute between sections of onion traders. According to him, a disagreement between a small group of traders and their Nigerian counterparts led to the blockage of trucks from offloading goods, triggering a broader crisis.

“Two, three days ago, a small group among the onion traders had an issue with Nigerian traders and stopped their cars from offloading goods at the market. Because of that, all the trucks coming to Ghana have now been seized,” he said in an interview.

The conflict, which initially involved a limited number of traders, has since escalated, drawing in multiple groups, including Ghanaian, Kusasi, Hausa, and Ivorian traders. Talimu noted that what began as a business disagreement has now taken on political dimensions.

“All the cars have been stopped. What we are talking about is the business of onions in Ghana, but politics has come into it,” he added.

The seized trucks, many of which are transporting onions from Niger, remain stranded, raising concerns about spoilage due to the perishable nature of the goods.

One of the affected drivers, Awudu Tiajni, lamented the situation, stating, “We’ve been locked here for almost three days. Our goods are perishing. We are appealing to the government for help.”

Meanwhile, Accra-based onion trader Alhaji Fuseini Atiiga explained that the tensions are also linked to disagreements over the distribution of onion trucks arriving in Ghana. He indicated that although about 52 trucks are typically allocated among various associations in Accra, a disproportionate share is reportedly directed to one group—an arrangement opposed by Nigerian traders.

Stakeholders are calling for urgent intervention to resolve the impasse and prevent further disruptions to onion supply in Ghana’s markets.