Nigeria’s Non-Oil Exports Hit $1.79bn in Q1 2025, Driven by Sesame Seed – NEPC

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has announced that the country’s non-oil export earnings reached $1.791 billion in the first quarter of 2025.

Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, disclosed this during a one-day sensitisation workshop for sesame seed farmers held Thursday in Dutse, Jigawa State. Themed “A Tactical Involvement for Enhancing the Production Capacity of Sesame Seed in Jigawa State,” the event focused on strengthening the sector’s contribution to non-oil exports.

Represented by Chief Trade Promotion Officer, Okany Chika Sylvia, Ayeni said the figure represents a 24.75% growth compared to 19.59% recorded in the first quarter of 2024. She added that in 2024, sesame seed ranked third among Nigeria’s top 20 export products, with 337,825.8 metric tonnes, accounting for 4.63% of total exports.

“Nigeria can obtain a significant share in the enormous forex from sesame seed export in the global market,” Ayeni stated, stressing the need to boost yields and strengthen the value chain.

Sylvia, in her presentation, noted that Nigeria’s sesame exports to Japan faced risks between 2019 and 2021 after the discovery of excess pesticide residue and salmonella contamination. She said the Japanese Oil and Fat Importers and Exporters Association (JOFIEA) raised the alarm in August 2022, with Japanese authorities confirming pesticide levels 1.9 times above the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL).

She identified challenges facing sesame seed exports, including poor compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary standards, cross-contamination during handling, and inadequate documentation by exporters.

Solutions, she said, include introducing a traceability system, training farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), improving logistics, packaging, product differentiation, and ensuring proper storage. “Through strategic engagement and partnerships, Nigeria’s sesame seed export will be boosted and competitively repositioned across major destination markets,” Sylvia added.

NEPC’s Jigawa Coordinator, Abdulkadir Aliyu, said the forum was designed to help Nigeria tap into the growing opportunities in the global market and enhance foreign exchange earnings.

Participants at the event also made recommendations. Farmer Balaraba Ibrahim called for aggregation centres in Jigawa to aid sesame processing, while Magaji Rabi’u urged farmers and residents to take advantage of export opportunities provided by the NEPC.

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