The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has intensified efforts to boost Kwara State’s contribution to Nigeria’s non-oil export earnings with a renewed drive to develop export clusters around cashew, sesame seeds and soya beans.

The initiative took centre stage at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting on Export Cluster Development held in Ilorin, Kwara State, where government officials, farmers, exporters and private sector operators identified key strategies to unlock the state’s export potentials.

Speaking at the meeting, the State Coordinator of the Nigerian Export Promotion (NEPC) Kwara State Coordinating Office, Mr. Olu Ikulajolu, explained that Soya Beans and Cashew are the major commodities of focus for Kwara State under the One State One Product (OSOP) programme. He however said that the inclusion of Sesame Seeds was borne out of the outcomes of recent research and consultations. According to the State Coordinator, recent findings showed increasing sesame seed production and several export-related investments had been attracted to Kwara State.

He stated that Nigeria recorded about $6.1 billion in non-oil exports performance report of 2025. However, Kwara State accounted for only about $58 million, a figure he described as far below the State’s potentials. He attributed the low performance of the State partly to absence of aggregation centres and structured channels for capturing export data.

He emphasised that the objective of the initiative is to address identified challenges and improve Kwara’s export performance through the establishment of functional export clusters to stimulate massive production and increase export competitiveness.

In a similar vein, the Permanent Secretary, Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Foluke Shokoya acknowledged the enormous potential of sesame seeds and the other two commodities in the State. Represented by Mallam Idris Mohammed, the Director Extension Services, said Kwara State is doing well on sesame seeds production. He however observed that most sesame seeds buyers currently operating in the State were from outside the State, underscoring the need to develop indigenous participation in the value chain.

The Permanent Secretary thanked the Management of NEPC for the initiative and recommended the establishment of produce collection centres close to major towns, provision of motorcycles for produce aggregation, and stronger collaboration with traditional rulers to guarantee community support for investors and exporters. She pledged the support of the Ministry to the laudable initiative. Emphasized that the State Government has about one hundred and twenty Extension workers to train and monitor farm fields across the state.

Also speaking, the Head of Department of Agriculture at the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr. Popoola O. Peter, commended NEPC for bringing stakeholders together.

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He stressed the need for stronger support for farmers, improved land access and a more enabling environment for agricultural production, noting that sustainable development of export crops would require deliberate investment in farming communities.

Dr. Popoola added that improved mechanisation remains critical to attracting youths into agriculture and safeguarding investments in export-oriented farming.

The Vice President (Agriculture) of the Kwara Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KWACCIMA), Alhaji Ibrahim Adebayo, urged the Kwara State Government and relevant agencies to provide the necessary support that would enable farmers to expand cultivation of the three selected commodities. According to him, available agricultural data already indicate that cashew, sesame and soya beans are among the crops with the greatest comparative advantage in Kwara State.

He enjoined stakeholders to work together in order to increase production and strengthen competitiveness in the international market.

The Chairman of All Farmers Association (AFAN) in the State, Engr. Shuaib Ajibola, pledged the buying-in of farmers into the initiative, while the Chairman of Nigerian Association of Soya Beans Farmers in Kwara State, Mr. Yinka Olawoyin, noted that his association would be ready to work closely with NEPC to strengthen soya production and export. He further called for regular training for farmers and exporters, proper registration of commodity associations, improved access to certified seeds, and the establishment of reliable off-taker arrangements to protect farmers from exploitation by middlemen.

Stakeholders at the meeting unanimously pledged their support for the Export Cluster Development initiative. They noted that developing structured export clusters for cashew, sesame and soya beans would improve production, attract investment, create jobs and significantly increase Kwara State’s contribution to Nigeria’s non-oil export earnings.

Participants further called for an enlarged stakeholders’ consultation and called on the Kwara State Government to support the programme due to inherent massive economic benefits to the state.

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