Commodity Origins

How much sesame seed does Nigeria produce and export?

Nigeria is the 4th largest producer of sesame seed: 450,000 tonnes in 2024, 6.7% of the world's 6.7 million tonnes (FAOSTAT). It is the 5th largest exporter by value: $391.4 million in 2024, 5% of world exports of sesame seed (HS 1207) (CEPII BACI). Its biggest customer is Japan, which takes 36% of its sesame seed exports by value.

All about sesame seed · All about Nigeria

Nigeria's sesame seed production

Nigeria sesame seed production, 2024
World rankProduction (tonnes)Share of worldTen-year growthYear
4450,000 tonnes6.7%+0.3% a year2024

FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products (QCL), 2024. World total is the sum of reporting countries.

Nigeria sesame seed production monthly prices, tonnes, Jan 1961 to Jan 2024Line chart of nigeria sesame seed production monthly prices in tonnes from Jan 1961 to Jan 2024: Nigeria sesame seed production from 56,000 to 450,000, peaking at 994,800.0200,000400,000600,000800,0001,000,000196519701975198019851990199520002005201020152020tonnes
Nigeria sesame seed production

Share of world output over time

Nigeria's share of world sesame seed production in selected years
19902000201020202024
1.9%2.8%3.5%3%6.7%

Average annual share by decade: 1960s 4.2%, 1970s 2.4%, 1980s 2%, 1990s 2.6%, 2000s 3.1%, 2010s 8.6%, 2020s 6.3%. See the concentration-over-time report.

Nigeria's sesame seed exports

Nigeria exports of Other oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, 2024
World rankExport valueShare of world exportsQuantity (tonnes)Average value per tonneYear
5$391.4 million5%232,280 t$1,6852024

CEPII BACI international trade database (HS22, V202601), HS 1207 (Other oil seeds and oleaginous fruits).

Where Nigeria's sesame seed goes

Largest destinations of Nigeria's sesame seed exports, 2024
DestinationValueShare of Nigeria's exports
Japan$143M36%
India$55M14%
China$35M8.9%
South Korea$30M7.6%
Greece$23M5.8%

Largest five destinations of 4,933 exporter-importer pairs BACI reports for 2024. See trade flows.

How much sesame seed Nigeria uses

Nigeria's domestic supply of sesame seed was 300 thousand tonnes in 2023, 6.2% of the world's. Food supply was 0.6 kg per person a year, 20th highest of 109 countries with a million or more people. It produced 138% of what it used (self-sufficiency) and imported 0%. FAO's item is "Sesame seed". Consumption · Self-sufficiency.

Cite as: Commodity Origins, "Nigeria sesame seed: production, exports and prices", https://commodityorigins.com/countries/NGA/sesame/ (CC BY 4.0). Rankings count only countries reporting to the sources named; this page is shown only for top-five producers or exporters with at least 3% of the world total. Report an issue with this page.