By Umar Salihu Adamu
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) Niger Coordinating Office, and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) Niger State Office, have partnered to train women in Niger State on sesame oil extraction.
The training program, held at the Resource and Information Centre of the RMRDC in Minna, aimed to equip over 50 women with the skills and knowledge needed to extract high-quality sesame oil for local and international markets.
In his welcome address, the Niger State Coordinator of RMRDC, Mr Yakubu Mohammed stated that the initiative was part of the effort of the council to promote economic empowerment and self-reliance among rural women. He observed that sesame oil extraction offers immense potential for job creation and wealth generation.
Mr. Yakubu said that under the leadership of the Director-General Prof. Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, RMRDC is identifying strategies to foster the commercialization of the raw materials sector which he said will be achieved through value addition, boosting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to transform and utilize domestic raw materials into competitive products for local use and export.
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Mr. Yakubu emphasized that sesame seed, also known as beniseed, is one of Nigeria’s non-oil export products, with growing demand in the international market, particularly in Asia and Europe. The Country is currently one of the largest producers of sesame in Africa, but much of the potential value from sesame oil remains untapped due to limited knowledge of processing techniques among rural farmers.
He also revealed various crop-boosting programs of the RMRDC with beneficiaries in Niger State and other parts of the country, including those targeting sesame.
While declaring the training open, the Niger State Coordinator of Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Alhaji Bello Ibrahim Noma, emphasized the need for people to acquire skills in processing raw materials and adding value to them for export. He said NEPC is committed to supporting non-oil export development. He said the partnership with RMRDC will enhance Nigeria’s sesame oil export competitiveness.
He commended RMRDC for its technical intervention projects in Niger State, such as the provision of commodity cleaning machines.
The Centre Manager of the Technology Centre Minna, Mallam Jibrin Musa, delivered a goodwill message, advising participants on how to compete favourably and achieve self-employment.
Jibrin Musa urged them to take advantage of such training, adding that Technology Incubation Centers in Minna, Bida, and other parts of Nigeria are available for participants to enhance their skills, including skills needed in technological advancement.
Also speaking, the Niger State Director of Cooperatives, Mallam Musa Mohammed, represented by Mr. Shola Adewuyi, encouraged participants to utilize the knowledge gained from the training. He urged them to form cooperative societies to better organize their efforts and access government grants and other business support interventions.
The women received hands-on training on using locally fabricated machines for sesame oil extraction, which improved efficiency and increased yield. They also learned about the importance of producing high-quality oil to meet international standards, which would enable them to sell their products at higher prices in the export market.
Chairman of the Niger State Sesame Association, Alhaji Idris Abubakar spoke about the potential of sesame oil extraction and the significance of the training, expressing gratitude to RMRDC and NEPC for organizing the event.
