ECOWAS Secures Release of Detained Nigerian Onion Trucks in Ghana

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) secured the release of five Nigerian trucks carrying onions that had been detained at Kotoku Market in Accra, Ghana, starting July 21, 2026. Local Ghanaian traders had prevented the trucks from offloading their produce, which Isa Aliyu Maitasamu, President of the Regional Observatory of Onion in West and Central Africa (ORO), claimed violated ECOWAS and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocols.

Following diplomatic escalations involving the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana and the ECOWAS Trade Directorate, the trucks were released on Friday, July 25. Maitasamu noted that the intervention prevented further financial losses for exporters, as the perishable nature of the onions threatened the quality of the produce.

Despite the resolution, the ORO warned that the underlying causes of such recurring trade disruptions remain unresolved. Maitasamu has urged the ECOWAS Commission to establish a sustainable, rules-based regional framework for onion trade to prevent future disputes and enhance regional integration across West and Central Africa.