By Adedapo Adesanya
National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) has pledged to stimulate quality production and profitable market for all the commodity stakeholders in West Africa.
This was disclosed by the President of the association, Mr Aliyu Maitasamu in Abuja, who further said the group was ready to build members’ capacities in good agronomic practices for onion production and good strategies for commercialisation.
Mr Maitasamu said that the onion species produced in the country was one of the best in the world because of its strong pungency, adding that it is exported to many countries including France, Japan, India, Niger Republic, Ghana and others.
He said as part of efforts to bring stakeholders together in West Africa to further harness the potential of the onion business, the association plans a regional conference on the impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on onions in November.
Mr Maitasamu said that the regional conference and their General Annual Meeting 2021 will hold on November 3 and 4, in Kano State, urging interested participants to register through https://noppman.org.
He said the theme of the conference is The Onion Sector in the Era of the African Free Trade Area and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities.
Mr Maitasamu added that the conference is a collaborative effort of the Regional Observatory for Onion Sector in West and Central Africa (ROO-WCA), explaining that the overall objective is to re-structure efficiently the onion sector in the region in order to ensure a better exchange of onion between areas of production and consumption.
“More specifically, ROO/WCA is targeting to build an integrated, strong and effective onion value-chain that will be able to ensure and stimulate a quality production and profitable market for all the commodity stakeholders.
“The ROO-WCA mission expands also into reinforcing institutional capacities of professional organizations, with the objective to ensure smooth exchange between partners by collection.
“And dispersal of commercial information relevant for decision-makers in production, purchases and sales.
“This will ensure permanent contact between members by organising periodic meetings, for a better use of business opportunities and judicious sharing of information and experience,” he said.
