Export Council Holds Forum For Sesame Seed Stakeholders

From Tom Garba, Yola
The Yola Zonal Office of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has organised a forum on Sesame Seed production, processing and export for about 79 stakeholders
Alhaji Mansur Yusuf, the Council’s Controller in charge of Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba, made the disclosure to reporters in Yola.
Sesame seed refined oil is among the most expensive cooking oil.
Yusuf said that the forum was aimed at fostering synergy and collaboration among stakeholders to promote value chain and clusters in sesame seed business in the zone.
His words: “The council early this year organised a stakeholders’ forum on sesame seed production in Takum local Government Area of Taraba State where over 70 sesame farmers and marketers participated.
“The objective of the forum was to increase production and processing of the commodity in the zone and in Taraba in particular to reach export level.”
Yusuf explained that Nigerian Sesame seed was among the best in the World and if properly improved would generate millions of dollars to Nigeria
He stated that the forum was in line with the Federal Government’s drive toward the development of non-oil sector with the emphasis on agricultural and solid minerals sectors.
He regretted that the decline in oil revenue as a result of the fall in prices at the international markets necessitated the council to diversify to non-oil means for sustainability of national economic growth.
He confirmed that the council has identified five major border markets in Adamawa and Taraba states situated along Nigeria-Cameroon borders where non-oil goods worth billions of naira were being locally exported.
The zonal council controller assured that with the strong political will, enabling business environment and the collaboration of organised stakeholders, Nigeria would soon be on the path of inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.