Despite generating 1 trillion in exports in 2024, Nigeria’s sesame (beneseed) continues to face a huge obstacle at the international markets.
Nigeria is currently the fourth-largest exporter of sesame globally, but rejection has been a major challenge for the exporters.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has attributed the repeated rejection in the international markets to poor compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary standards, particularly indiscriminate chemical use and weak post-harvest practices.
In 2025, Sesame ranked as Nigeria’s third most exported product, with about 338,000 metric tonnes shipped abroad. In spite of this however, the agricultural products often face rejection due to safety concerns at the global market.
But speaking at a capacity building programme on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for sesame stakeholders held in Kano on Wednesday, the North West NEPC Regional Coordinator, Hajiya Amina Abdulmalik, said the problem stems largely from lack of awareness among farmers.
She explained that many farmers apply paraquat, a drying agent, directly on sesame seeds to hasten drying, not knowing they are damaging the crop.
‘Even if they think nothing happens to them, international buyers reject it. We must change this mindset and produce sesame that is safe for both local consumption and export,’ she said.
Abdulmalik stressed that the rejection of Nigerian sesame is not about quantity but quality, pointing to pesticide residues, poor post-harvest handling, and contamination as recurring issues.
‘If the Western international market can reject it, why should we eat it? Let’s produce what they can eat, and we too should be able to eat it,’ she added.
She emphasized that the training was designed to guide farmers step by step, from planting to harvest, post-harvest handling, bagging, and eventual export, to ensure Nigerian sesame meets premium market standards.
‘Our goal is simple: to help farmers produce cleaner, safer sesame that commands better prices and passes international inspections without hindrance. When you earn more, Nigeria earns more,’ she said.
Also presenting a paper at the programme, a retired Deputy Director from the Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), Ibrahim Umar Halilu, explained that most farmers fail to follow proper agronomic procedures.
‘Sesame is an export crop, but many consignments are rejected because farmers deviate from recommended practices, from site selection to storage and transportation. Some contaminate it with inert materials or misuse pesticides, and these lapses make our sesame fall short of global standards,’ he said.
Halilu stressed that Nigerian sesame is among the most affected globally, noting that farmers must adopt proper site selection, planting, harvesting, storage, and transportation methods to meet international requirements.