Ghanaian trucks loaded with vegetables held in Nigeria amid cross-border trade dispute

Suspected armed men in Samia, a town in Kebbi State in Nigeria, have reportedly blocked and detained several Ghanaian trucks transporting vegetables from Niger through Nigeria en route to Ghana.

The incident is believed to be linked to rising tensions between traders in both countries. Reports suggest that some Nigerian onion traders in Accra recently had their goods prevented from being offloaded by certain Ghanaian traders, prompting what appears to be retaliatory action against Ghanaian transporters.

The stranded trucks are loaded with perishable goods, mainly onions, raising concerns that the produce could spoil if the situation is not resolved quickly.

The drivers typically source their goods from Galimi, a farming community in Niger, before transporting them through Nigeria, into Benin and Togo, and finally to Ghana.

Drivers, who say they have been held for nearly three days, are calling on the Ghanaian government, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to intervene.

Speaking to the media, one of the drivers, Awudu Tiajni, said, “We've been locked here for almost three days. Our goods are perishing. We are appealing to the government for help.”

An onion trader in Accra, Fuseini Atiiga, also told Citi News that the situation is partly driven by disagreements over how trucks are allocated between traders.

He explained that about 52 trucks arrive in Accra and are distributed among different associations, but a larger share reportedly goes to a particular group, a situation some Nigerian traders oppose.