Nigerian Sesame Exports at Risk Due to Quality Issues

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has raised concerns about the country's sesame exports being threatened by global rejections due to safety and quality lapses. Hajiya Amina Abdulmalik, the NEPC North West Region Coordinator, spoke at a stakeholders' training in Kano, warning that the indiscriminate use of chemicals, particularly paraquat, and poor post-harvest practices are undermining Nigeria's status as the world's fourth-largest sesame exporter.

Abdulmalik emphasized that while quantity is not an issue, quality is a significant concern for Western buyers who reject Nigerian sesame. She urged farmers to adopt global best practices to avoid frequent rejections.

Ibrahim Umar Halilu, the retired Deputy Director of KNARDA, noted that pesticide misuse remains a recurring problem. He stressed that Nigeria risks losing its competitive edge unless farmers are trained in good agricultural practices to produce cleaner and safer sesame that meets international inspection standards.

Sesame is projected to rank as Nigeria's third export product by 2025, with 338,000 metric tons expected to be shipped abroad.