According to Taiwo Oyaniran, an associate director at PwC Nigeria, agriculture is a key sector in Nigeria, contributing around 22% to the country's annual GDP and employing about 36% of the workforce.
Despite the size and importance of the sector, more than 80% of farmers in Nigeria are smallholders, and they grow around 90% of the country's agricultural produce.
Investment in the sector remains fairly low, with only about R7,37 billion of the budget in 2020 apportioned to the sector. This is short of the 10% specified in the AU's 2003 Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security.
Crop production is the largest segment of agricultural production in Nigeria, accounting for 87,6% of total output. This is followed by livestock (8,1%), fishing (3,2%) and forestry (1,1%). Sesame seeds, cashew nuts and cocoa beans account for more than 50% of all agricultural exports.
SESAME SEED
Sesame seed, which is produced in northern and central Nigeria, is an important earner of foreign currency. Production has dropped over the past few years, however, totalling 490 000t in 2020/21, compared with the 510 000t produced the season before (see table). Sesame grows fairly quickly, with the crop being ready to harvest three to four months after cultivation.
On average, Nigeria's exports of sesame seed range from 140 000t to 180 000t per annum. Japan and Turkey are the country's biggest market for these exports, followed by India and South Korea.
According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), most of Nigeria's sesame seed is produced by smallholder farmers, and there is little data on production and trade. Despite this, the crop remains a crucial part of Nigeria's agriculture sector. Moreover, increasing global demand for sesame seed means that there is plenty of opportunity for Nigerian farmers.
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