By Felicia Imohimi
The National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) has sought closer collaboration with the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) to strengthen onion exportation and improve access to global markets.
The President of the association, Alhaji Aliyu Isah, made the call when a delegation from NOPPMAN paid a courtesy visit to the Comptroller-General of NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe, in Abuja.
Isah said the onion value chain remains crucial to Nigeria’s food security, job creation, and export earnings, stressing the need to deepen institutional partnerships that would enhance productivity and international competitiveness.
He said the association was committed to strengthening agricultural production, food security, and export development, while identifying NAQS as a key institution in safeguarding Nigeria’s agricultural integrity and facilitating safe international trade.
According to him, collaboration with NAQS would help farmers harness the full potential of onion production both within and outside the country.
He commended the agency for its role in phytosanitary compliance and the promotion of internationally acceptable trade standards, noting that its functions were vital as Nigeria intensifies efforts towards economic diversification and non-oil export growth.
Isah described onion as a major vegetable crop with multiple uses, including its application in food preparation and processing into products such as onion powder and flakes.
He said the visit was aimed at addressing knowledge gaps among members of the association and improving compliance with export requirements.
The NOPPMAN president also called for greater inclusion of stakeholders in policy formulation, warning that excluding farmers and producers could undermine implementation outcomes.
He further advocated enhanced inspection processes covering land preparation, seedlings, nurseries, harvesting, storage, and certification to meet export standards.
Isah also urged the deployment of plant health officers to onion-producing clusters across the country to fast-track inspection and certification processes.
In his response, Isegbe, identified onion as one of Nigeria’s priority export certification value chain commodities.
He called for stronger collaboration between the agency and the association to improve production standards, reduce post-harvest losses, and boost export quality.
Isegbe said NAQS would work with stakeholders to improve storage and transportation systems to minimise wastage.
“We will engage the association, understand your clusters, and ensure proper registration of actors to help us ascertain seed quality and trace sources in cases of substandard inputs,” he said.
He added that NAQS would continue to support certification processes to ensure that Nigeria’s agricultural exports meet global standards.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Tosin Kolade
