About Us

The National Sesame Seed Association of Nigeria (NSSAN) was set up in 2002 to fill the gap created as a
result of the scrapping of the Marketing Board. It therefore primarily seeks to promote the
development of the sesame seed industry in Nigeria as a major foreign exchange earner, capable of
generating large-scale jobs and income.

This is particularly so as sesame seed industries continue to
attract growing interest due and demand because of the uses to which the seed is now being put and its
health benefits. These uses include confectionery, cosmetics, edible oil, pharmaceuticals etc.
Nigeria’s sesame seed ranks among the best quality in the world. In the last couple of years, demand
for Nigeria’s sesame seed has witnessed a dramatic growth, forcing the Association to explore ways to
boost production from the present figure of about 200,000 metric tons value at $260 million to 500,000
metric tons valued at $600 million within an intermediate time frame of three years.
To achieve this projection, the Association and its institutional consultant – Development Measures GN
in collaboration with other local and international development partners, government agencies,
financial institutions, investors as well as private consultants, is working with farmer groups across
Nigeria to support activities that will dramatically boost the farming, processing and export of sesame
seed for increased food security and poverty alleviation.

Our Mission

Our mission is to maximize the quality and quantity of every Nigerian farmer’s Sesame Seed harvest yield so that they can each benefit from the increasing international demand for agricultural commodities and, with our collaborative partners by our side, unite our voices to shape the direction of Nigeria’s agricultural future.

Our Vision

Our mission is to maximize the quality and quantity of every Nigerian farmer’s Sesame Seed harvest yield so that they can each benefit from the increasing international demand for agricultural commodities and, with our collaborative partners by our side, unite our voices to shape the direction of Nigeria’s agricultural future.

National Sesame Seed Association of Nigeria (NSSAN)

Elevator Pitch.

NSSAN is a Nigerian membership organization dedicated to helping our country’s farmers meet the increasing international demand for agricultural commodities. Recognizing that Nigeria’s sesame seed crop is valued worldwide for its exceptional quality, we find ways to boost production so that Nigerian farmers can reap the benefits of this growing demand. Our larger goal is to help Nigeria increase its GDP, achieve national food security, and reduce poverty through increased employment.
We provide our members with the tools, technology, research and resources to improve their efficiencies and maximize their production. We help them establish commercial links with domestic exporters and international buyers, and we create alliances with other key value chain players so that there is a seamless path from cultivation, to production, to export. In addition, we work with local and international development partners, government agencies, financial institutions, and other entities that will help us achieve large scale, coordinated agricultural progress.
NSSAN

  • Boosting the Nigerian economy by empowering our farmers!
  • Increasing Nigeria’s role as a major player in international commodities!
  • Unleashing the power of Nigeria’s sesame seed industry!
  • Supporting, strengthening and advancing Nigeria’s agricultural potential.
  • Facilitating a coordinated approach to our country’s agricultural advancement.

About Us
NSSAN was established in 2002 to promote the development of the sesame seed industry in Nigeria as a major foreign exchange earner capable of generating large-scale jobs and income. Incorporated in Abuja Nigeria by the Corporate Affairs Commission, we serve as a regulatory body that oversees the activities of all the players in the Nigerian sesame seed value chains.
We recognize the opportunity for Nigeria to play a major role in responding to the increasing international demand for agricultural commodities. Nigeria’s highly-valued sesame seed crops are world-renowned, and we are exploring ways to boost production from the current average of 200,000 metric tons (valued at $260 million) to 500,000 metric tons (valued at $600 million).
We are on track to achieve this goal within three years by:

  • Providing our farmers with the tools, technology, research and resources needed to streamline their efficiencies and maximize their production;
  • Educating them about market dynamics, negotiation tactics and current price trends.
  • Helping them establish commercial links with domestic exporters and international buyers; and
  • Partnering with value chain players, our institutional consultant, local and international development partners, government agencies, financial institutions, and other key entities to achieve large scale, coordinated agricultural progress.

We also play an important role in promoting the profitability aspects of sesame seed farming in an effort to encourage the younger generation to consider farming as their vocational choice.
Some of additional key activities include:

  • Arranging an annual pre-harvest meeting with farmers to help them aggregate their individual sesame seed harvests into an exportable quantity;
  • Organizing buyer/seller meetings to expedite fair negotiations and stimulate competition among buyers of sesame seed where demand outstrips supply.
  • Facilitating meetings between buyer representatives and local producer groups to negotiate price contract terms and discuss what the commodity has to offer.
  • Providing assistance to farmers seeking agricultural loans at a reasonable rate.
  • Conducting an annual survey in collaboration with State Agricultural Development Programs, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, the National Bureau of Statistics, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to collect data to help farmers plan and make projections for production and export.

Moving forward, NSSAN is pioneering the use of the Internet to develop the advancement of all commodities through business-to-business linkages that connect Nigerian sesame seed commodity farmers, processors and exporters with local and international buyers, research institutes and financial institutions. We also anticipate using the site to disseminate regional market information and pricing trends as well as provide a substantial library of technical resources.
Our hope is that these efforts will help our farmers experience increased stability and success as they emerge as a powerful and valuable factor in Nigeria’s movement toward increased food security, GDP, and poverty alleviation.

Notable among our recent partnership initiatives include:

1) Administering the First Bank PLC Cooperative Linkage Agricultural Credit Scheme.
2) Collaboration with Nigerian Export Promotion Council/WTO on the Sesame Seed quality
management.
3) Capacity building support on best Agronomical practices and input support by Federal Ministry
of Agriculture
4) Technical support for the formation of Sesame Seed Farmers Cooperatives/Clusters across 15
states by Development Measures GN.
NSSAN welcomes cooperative partnerships from all stakeholders for the repositioning our national
economy through strengthened agri-business initiatives, to please join hands with the Association. We
particularly welcome partnership proposals from the Federal/State/FCT/local government agencies,
cooperative groups and investors desirous of exploring the great opportunities in sesame seed farming,
processing and marketing.
We also wish to encourage elected representatives wishing to empower their farming constituencies as
part of their constituency outreach projects as well as all institutions seeking opportunities to create
jobs and wealth for their target constituencies come partner with us.
NSSAN wish to express its appreciation to all the agencies and organizations who have in one way or the
other contributed to the development of the sesame seed industry in Nigeria, even as we look forward
to their continue support.

Management Team