A total of 59 onion trucks belonging to Ghanaian traders have reportedly been seized in Nigeria, preventing their return to Ghana amid an escalating trade dispute.

The situation comes after tensions at Accra’s Adjen Kotoku Market, where local traders allegedly blocked Nigerian sellers from offloading 16 trucks of onions.

Imoro Asutam, Chairman of the Onion Sellers Association, revealed that each truck is valued at approximately 5 billion old Ghana cedis, raising concerns about significant financial losses for the traders.

He added that the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has called an emergency meeting with key stakeholders to help resolve the impasse.

According to Asutam, the dispute arose after some Nigerian traders allegedly violated existing market agreements by attempting to sell larger quantities of onions than permitted.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Osman Muhammed Sidi, Secretary of the Accra Onion Sellers Association, has urged the government to invest in local onion production to reduce reliance on imports and prevent similar conflicts in the future.