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

The chief executive officer of the council, Nonye Ayeni, said this at a one-day sensitisation exercise organised by the Council for Sesame seed farmers, on Thursday in Dutse, Jigawa.

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

Represented by Okany Chika Sylvia, chief trade promotion officer, NEPC, Ms Ayeni said the export value represents a 24.75 per cent increase compared to 19.59 per cent for the first quarter of 2024.

She said that non-oil performance in 2024 indicated that sesame seed ranked number three out of the top 20 export products, amounting to 337.8258 metric tonnes, which accounted for 4.63 per cent of the quantity exported.

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

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

In a presentation, she said export of Nigeria’s sesame seed 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 Japan Oil and Fat Importers and Exporters Association (JOFIEA) on 5th August, 2022.

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

Ms Ayeni highlighted that some of the challenges related to sesame seed export include poor compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, cross-contamination during the handling process, and lack of proper documentation by exporters.

The NEPC official highlighted some of the solutions to include addressing the contaminant issue from the farm gate to the market, a comprehensive approach and leveraging the training of farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).

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

“Quality testing, deployment of modern technology, awareness campaign, as well as establishment of a good storage system are vital,” she said.

She advocated the establishment of clusters within the medium-term frame, stressing that the council would engage relevant stakeholders to ensure zero rejection of agricultural exports, especially sesame seed.

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

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

He said the overall objectives were to help the country tap into the 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, also called for the establishment of aggregation centres for sesame seed processing in Jigawa.

She expressed concern over the level of exploitation being faced by sesame farmers, who lack the capacity to process the produce, adding that the trend forced them to dispose of it at cheaper prices.

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

(NAN)