Sokoto Onion Farmers Bemoan ₦282.32m Losses After Three Consecutive Infernos
From Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
The National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), says its members in Sokoto State have lost over ₦282.32 million in one week following three separate fire outbreaks that razed traditional onion storage facilities across three Local Government Areas.
The NOPPMAN’s National President, , Alhaji Aliyu Maitasamu ISA, disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto at the weekend, when he gave an update on the triple tragedies.
Painting a glim picture on the multiplier effects of the disasters, Aliyu Isah Maitasamu, said the recent fire incidents razed no fewer than 8,107 bags of onions.
According to him, the obnoxious development may certainly affect the country’s local and international supply chains.
Alhaji Aliyu Maitasamu Isa sadly recalled that tragedy that the first inferno occurred in Kojiyo town, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, where farmers recorded a fire outbreak that engulfed about 65 local storage facilities.
The NOPPMAN National President stated that each storage facility contained about 35 bags of onions, saying, “at that time the price of onions was estimated at about N25,000 per bag within the locality, not in Sokoto metropolis or outside Sokoto State.”
While disclosing that the loss was valued at almost N56.8 million, he recalled that 48 hours after the Kojiyo fire incident, another fire outbreak occurred in Dundaye town, Wamakko Local Government Area of Sokoto State, where fire engulfed about 51 local onion storage facilities.
He said, “Each facility had about 12 partitions, and when multiplied, about 612 bags were lost, valued at around N21.4 million.”
Alhaji Aliyu Maitasamu further stated that the biggest fire outbreak occurred at Duhuwa town in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State, where about 324 traditional onion storage facilities were lost.
He explained, “Each storage facility contained 18 bags, totaling 5,832 bags valued at around N204,120,000.”
According to the President, the total losses were 8,107 bags of onions from about 440 storage facilities, valued at around N282,320,000, all recorded within one week.
He said the cause of the incidents remained unknown to the farmers and the onion association.
He added, “This is because the incident in Kojiyo town happened in the daytime when the local security guards only woke up to see the inferno within the area.
“However, the incident at Duhuwa town occurred on Friday while the residents were in the Mosque observing the Jumu’at prayers and returned to find fire engulfing the onion storage facilities.
“We have reported to the security agencies and they have swung into action in Goronyo, Wamakko, and Wurno Local Government Areas,” he said, adding that he was hopeful about the efforts of the state Commissioner of Police, as the command was doing its best on the issue.
The president expressed optimism that the police would soon provide an update on the cause of the incidents.
“No, I don’t see it as banditry, because acts of banditry have characteristics we all know, they kill and unleash terror on communities, but none of that happened,” Maitasamu said.
He also suspected internal sabotage, saying, “What really caused my confusion is that the incidents happened at the same time within a week and took place within 48-hour sequences.”
“Any member found wanting in the act of sabotaging the efforts of members should be arrested and prosecuted,” he warned.
He highlighted the immediate and long-term effects of the onion disaster on supply in Sokoto and across Nigeria, especially on innocent farmers who lost their source of livelihood.
“For us, onion storage is not just about storing onions for sale but about our people saving their money, saving their investments, like the way you save your money in the bank,” he said.
“The way you save your money in banks is the way we save our own money in the form of onions. The reason is that when you save one million naira today, in eight months it will not become two million naira.
“But if I store onions worth N30,000 today, in the next one or two months those onions may be worth N60,000, and in the next four to six months, maybe N90,000.
“So, we are saving something that appreciates over time.
“Secondly, we save to cater for needs. If we had cash at hand, we might spend it unnecessarily. But when you save onions, and you have bills to settle, maybe hospital bills, you sell ten bags of onions to cover that bill.
“If you have school fees to pay for your child in the university, you sell some bags of onions to pay. Or if you want to give your daughter’s hand in marriage, you sell some quantity of onions for the wedding ceremony,” he explained.
Alhaji Aliyu Maitasamu further noted that the incidents occurred in insecurity-prone areas where banditry and other crimes are prevalent.
He expressed hope that NEMA and SEMA will soon come to the urgent aid of the victims to cushion the negative effects of the infernos.
He maintained: ” Sokoto is the largest onion-producing state.There is no doubt about it, and we supply the entire country and even the sub-region throughout the year.
“No other state can do this. It is only in Sokoto that you can have onions almost year-round.”
The NOPPMAN National President noted, ” in other states, when you go to Aliero in Kebbi State, you won’t get any onions. Even in Shinkafi, Zamfara State, their onions get exhausted. In Kano and Kaduna, it is the wet season.
“While in Yobe and Borno you only get dry season onions, Sokoto produces three times a year: dry season, wet season, and off-season.
“So, we lost about 5,832 bags, which is equivalent to 20 to 30 trucks of onions — nearly N300 million worth. In such a situation, it will impact the country’s local and international supply chains.
“We just pray that wet season production will be able to take care of these losses.
“If the wet season does not cover the losses, then there will be a problem.
“My appeal to the state government, NEMA, and SEMA is to come to the aid of those who lost their sources of livelihood by providing them with food items to cushion their immediate suffering.
“NEMA should not keep their assessment report on the incident on their shelves. They should act very urgently, as the victims need urgent intervention to return to their normal activities so these losses will not have a negative impact on their lives,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said that the association is in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Finance Incorporated to modernize the system by establishing onion storage facilities.
“Already, we did the groundbreaking together with the Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, in More town. Construction is ongoing and the project will be completed in August this year,” he disclosed.
“To this end, we have also sent them reports of what happened to show the need and urgency for these onion storage facilities.
“The storage facility under construction has a capacity of 1,500 metric tons. Each metric ton is ten bags, totaling 15,000 bags of onions, which is far above what we have lost,” Alhaji Aliyu Maitasamu remarked.
