The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) says Nigeria’s non-oil export rose to $1.791 billion in the first quarter of 2025.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Nonye Ayeni, disclosed this at a one-day sensitisation exercise organised for sesame seed farmers on Thursday in Dutse, Jigawa.

The theme of the workshop was: “A Tactical Involvement for Enhancing the Production Capacity of Sesame Seed in Jigawa State.”

Represented by Okany Chika Sylvia, Chief Trade Promotion Officer, NEPC, Ayeni said the export value represented a 24.75 per cent increase compared to 19.59 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2024.

She noted that non-oil export performance in 2024 indicated that sesame seed ranked third among the top 20 export products, amounting to 337,825.8 metric tonnes, representing 4.63 per cent of total exports.

“Nigeria can obtain a significant share in the enormous forex from sesame seed export in the global market,” she said.

Ayeni stressed the need to enhance the nation’s sesame yields and production to maximise export potential along the value chain.

In her presentation, Sylvia recalled that Nigeria’s sesame seed export to Japan between 2019 and 2021 was allegedly threatened due to the discovery of excess pesticide residue and salmonella.

“The offshoot of this discovery was raised by the Japan Oil and Fat Importers and Exporters Association (JOFIEA) on 5 August, 2022.

“Relatively, the Japanese authorities allegedly confirmed that a high dose of pesticide residue found in sesame seed exported to Japan between 2019 and 2021 was 1.9 times in excess of the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL),” she said.

She identified challenges confronting sesame seed exports, including poor compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, cross-contamination during handling, and lack of proper documentation by exporters.

Proffering solutions, she said the issues could be addressed through tackling contaminants from farm gate to market, adopting a comprehensive approach, and training farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).

“The introduction of technology-driven traceability systems, tackling logistics hurdles, packaging and product differentiation will also curtail the situation.

“Quality testing, deployment of modern technology, awareness campaigns as well as establishment of proper storage systems are vital,” she added.

Sylvia further advocated the establishment of clusters within the medium term, stressing that the Council would engage relevant stakeholders to ensure zero rejection of agricultural exports, especially sesame seed.

“We believe that through strategic engagement and partnerships, Nigeria’s sesame seed export will be boosted and competitively repositioned across major destination markets.”

NEPC’s Jigawa Coordinator, Mr Abdulkadir Aliyu, said the forum aimed at increasing Nigeria’s sesame seed output.

He noted that the overall objective was to help the country tap into growing opportunities in the global market, particularly in foreign exchange earnings.

“This is a valuable opportunity to gain insights and contribute meaningfully to the development of this important sector,” he said.

One of the participants, Balaraba Ibrahim, called for the establishment of aggregation centres for sesame seed processing in Jigawa.

She expressed concern over the level of exploitation faced by sesame farmers who lack the capacity to process their produce, forcing them to sell at cheaper prices.

Another participant, Magaji Rabi’u, urged farmers and residents of the state to explore export opportunities through the NEPC.

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