Onome Amuge
Onion farming is booming globally as confirmed by market reports. In the first quarter of 2025, worldwide exports rose 15.5 per cent year-on-year to 472,000 metric tonnes, worth about $5 billion annually. Unfortunately, Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest producers has failed to exploit the multi billion dollar market as counterfeit seeds threaten output.
When Nigerian farmer Ibrahim Musa walked through his fields in Jigawa state earlier this year, he realised that most of his onion crop had failed to germinate. The bulbs that had sprouted were stunted, pale, and unmarketable. Like thousands of others across northern Nigeria, Musa had unknowingly planted counterfeit seeds. By harvest season, his expected income had evaporated.
Across Jigawa alone, the country’s second-largest onion-producing state, losses are estimated at N1 billion from poor seed quality. But industry officials warn the true cost runs into several billions of naira nationwide when combined with flooding, erratic rainfall, and soaring input prices.
“Farmers have lost billions due to counterfeit onion seeds. This will not just affect farmers’ incomes, it will exacerbate scarcity and push prices higher for everyone,” said Aliyu Maitasamu Isah, president of the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN).
The crisis has rippling consequences across Nigeria’s food economy. Onions are not only a staple of local diets but also a cornerstone of rural livelihoods, employing tens of thousands across cultivation, harvesting, transportation and distribution. Women in particular play a central role during peak harvest, securing income that sustains entire households.
Nigeria produces roughly two million tonnes of onions annually, making it one of Africa’s top producers alongside Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. Most of the harvest is consumed domestically, leaving little for export. But this season’s failures risk tightening supplies at a time when food inflation is already at record highs.
The shortages have been compounded by climate shocks. Heavy flooding across the northern states destroyed onion fields worth an estimated N300 billion, according to farmers’ associations. Erratic rainfall patterns, linked to climate change, have further disrupted growth cycles, leaving plants vulnerable to disease.
“The prolonged rains devastated onions at different growth stages. Many farmers are heavily indebted and cannot repay loans. Others may exit onion farming entirely,” said Dauda Marma, chairman of the Jigawa Onion Farmers Association.
Leading exporters of the crop include: The Netherlands, China, Mexico, India and the US, collectively account for more than half of shipments. Morocco’s onion exports alone rose nearly sixfold in 2024/25, generating $238 million, up from $38 million a year earlier, according to EastFruit, an agricultural research firm.
By contrast, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, struggles to meet even domestic demand. Post-harvest losses from inadequate storage and poor infrastructure claim as much as 40 per cent of onion harvests in some states. And with counterfeit seeds flooding markets from Morocco and elsewhere, productivity is collapsing just as regional demand rises.
At the root of the crisis is Nigeria’s porous seed market. Farmers often rely on middlemen to procure seeds, with little regulatory oversight. The Jigawa Onion Farmers Association said the faulty seeds that devastated this season’s harvest entered via Kebbi and Yobe states from Morocco, sold by unscrupulous traders.
“The lack of enforcement means counterfeit seeds easily infiltrate markets. Farmers rarely test seed quality before planting, and once a season is lost, the damage is irrecoverable,” said Isah of NOPPMAN.
The scarcity of high-quality imported onion seeds from France, Holland and Thailand has driven prices sky-high. A 500-gramme packet that sold for N20,000 in 2022 now costs about N180,000 ,a nearly ninefold increase. Many smallholders have been priced out entirely, resorting to cheaper but unreliable alternatives.
The impact is already being felt in kitchens. Onions are a key flavouring ingredient in Nigerian cuisine, used in soups, stews and sauces consumed daily across households. Rising scarcity has pushed prices sharply higher, straining consumer wallets.
With over 133 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, onion price spikes amplify broader concerns about food security.
Nigeria’s struggles stand in contrast to neighbouring Niger, which exports surplus onions to West African markets including Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Egypt, another regional powerhouse, supplies onions to the Middle East and Europe.
Analysts say Nigeria could have leveraged the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to become a key player in intra-African onion trade. Instead, it risks ceding ground to regional rivals.
“The AfCFTA provides a framework for reducing tariffs and boosting agricultural trade. But without quality seeds, storage infrastructure and better farming practices, Nigeria cannot compete,”said a report from EastFruit.
Beyond counterfeit seeds, onion farmers are exposed to worsening climate risks. Floods and prolonged rains wipe out crops; heat waves stress plants; pests and diseases spread more easily. Few farmers have access to irrigation, crop insurance, or climate-resilient seed varieties.
Storage remains another structural bottleneck. Without modern cold storage facilities, farmers often sell onions immediately after harvest at low prices, only for scarcity to drive prices higher months later. Losses from poor storage facilities amount to hundreds of billions of naira annually, according to NOPPMAN.
Yet industry experts say the crisis could also be a turning point. Investments in seed certification systems, cold storage, digital marketplaces and farmer training could stabilise supply and prices.
“Digital platforms can help farmers verify seed authenticity and access inputs directly from certified suppliers. Cold storage hubs, powered by renewable energy, would reduce post-harvest losses and smooth seasonal price spikes,” said a Kaduna-based agri-tech entrepreneur.
Analysts observed that international partners are also eyeing opportunities. This is as global demand for onions continues to rise, and Nigeria’s vast arable land offers scale advantages. They asserted that if productivity can be restored, the country could become a net exporter.
In Jigawa, farmers are seeking to take matters into their own hands. The Jigawa Onion Farmers Association plans to establish a dedicated onion market in Marma town, Kirikasamma Local Government Area, designed to attract buyers from across West Africa.
“This will not only boost onion farming but also position Jigawa as a hub for regional trade,” said Marma, the association’s chairman.
For now, however, many farmers saddled with debt are questioning whether to plant again. Supply chain actors, from transporters to market women,face declining incomes, with consumers brace for further price hikes.
Industry insiders warn that without urgent reforms, Nigeria could see onion shortages on par with the 2020 crisis, when prices quadrupled and onions became a luxury item.
“Onions are not just another vegetable. They are central to our food system, our culture, and our economy. If this sector collapses, the consequences will be felt across the country,” said Isah of NOPPMAN.
The government faces pressure to tighten regulation of seed imports, invest in irrigation and storage, and support farmers with credit. At the same time, private investors are being urged to step in with funding for infrastructure and value chain development.
With the right reforms, experts say Nigeria could revive its onion sector and even become competitive internationally. But failure to act risks deepening rural poverty, worsening food inflation, and forfeiting a chance to harness agriculture as a driver of economic growth.
