Kayode Shopekan
NATIONAL Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), has asked that members of the association be added by Central Bank of Nigeria, into the Anchor-borrowers scheme.
This request was made by the National President of NOPPMAN, Isah Aliyu while addressing journalists.
National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAM) is the umbrella body for onion producers, processors and marketers. It is the professional association of the onion sector organisations of Nigeria.
The goal of the association is to restructure the onion sector in the country efficiently, in order to ensure a better exchange of onions between areas of production and consumption.
Aliyu stated: “Such development will help in large quantities of onion production, which can be exported to increase the country’s GDP. This will further enable us to bridge the gap of consumption in the country.
Isah explained that Nigeria has the capacity to produce 1.4 million metric tons of onion annually, while Nigerians’ demand for onions annually stood at 2.5 million metric tons.
Isah’s assertion conceivably means that there is a shortage of supply by around 1.1 metric tons in the country but despite the deficit in supplies, Isah maintained that the Association is forced to engage in exportation of onions to neighbouring countries, due to lack of storage and processing facilities.
“Lack of storage/processing facilities have forced onions producers/marketers to lose over 60 to 70 percent of their produce annually.
“Nigeria makes over N700 billion annually, in the onion business, with the estimated production of over 14 million bags of onion yearly,” Isah, said,
Mr. Aliyu, however, called on the Federal Government to open windows that will enable investors to invest heavily into the onion business, insisting that such love will not only boost the nation’s economy, but also create job opportunities.
