ECOWAS sanctions against Niger: Nigeria is losing a lot – Onion merchant

By Abubakar Auwal Malam Aliyu Isa is the national president of the Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria. In this interview he reveals how sanctions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are affecting onion business in the sub-region and Nigeria is losing a lot of money. He also speaks on the factors responsible for the rise in onion price in the country and what should be done to address it. We are witnessing a rise in the price of onions in our local markets, particularly in the northwestern region, which is the main producer of the commodity, what do you think is responsible for this? This is as a result of several factors. If you recall, our planting season used to start around October/November, then we harvest in the first quarter of the following year. So, during the time we started our planting, I think in 2022 to 2023, there was this issue of naira redesign, which did not afford our farmers the opportunity to even access cash ...