Onion Farmers Don They Sabi: We Need Better Border Management

Omo, the onion matter don reach another level for Naija! Onion stakeholders gather for Birnin Kebbi meet, and dem don dey call for new way wey border issues go manage this onion trade, no be the usual lockdown wahala wey dey spoil everything.

Isa Aliyu, wey be president of National Onion Producers, na im dey shout for the meeting say make we shift from ordinary border closure to beta trade arrangement. E talk say these current border wahala don dey slow down the cash flow and trade wey suppose dey happen between Naija and Benin Republic.

Kebbi State dey shine for onion farming, particularly Aleiro LGA wey dey produce fresh onion wey dey go markets for everywhere, even boom for West Africa. But ol’ border management no dey reflect how important onion wahala be for economy, and dem dey cause serious delays wey fit make farmers cry.

Aliyu talk say once dem hold onion for too long, e go begin spoil, and that one dey affect the money farmers dey make. He don raise alarm say every second wey border dey close, e dey lead to price fall wey dey make farmers no fit sell their produce well.

In case una no sabi, that corridor wey dey between Nigeria and Benin na original route for onion trade, no be today e start. E dey naturally function, dem no even need policy for am, but na now wey e don come fall hand due to closure and bad management.

Aliyu don dey talk say if dem fit reopen am with monitoring, e go help Customs Service do dem work well and even fit increase government revenue. E dey hint say traditional border closure no go solve the issue at hand; rather, we go gain better data, regulation, and revenue if we dey operate like normal.

Dis matter no be only about onion money o! E also fit help Nigeria GDP grow, increase cash flow for producing states, and even create jobs across production, packaging, and export area. As dem dey talk for this meeting, it clear say na collaboration go fit change this game; Customs Service, state government, and traders gatz hold hand together.

At the end, everybody agree say make we balance security for border with farmers’ livelihood, so we fit sustain the agricultural export wey go make sense for Nigeria. We gatz modernize the way we dey do dis border matter.