A Japan-funded sesame processing plant has been inaugurated in Jalingo, Taraba State, in what stakeholders describe as a major boost to the state’s agricultural development and market competitiveness.
Speaking at the commissioning, the Special Adviser to the Taraba State Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Zanau Hassan Maikasuwa, commended the Government of Japan for its support, calling the project a “major catalyst” for strengthening the agricultural value chain.
Maikasuwa said the facility aligns with Governor Agbu Kefas’ agricultural transformation agenda, which prioritizes processing, commercialization, and improved market access for farmers. He urged sesame producers and marketers to fully leverage the opportunity, noting that Taraba—one of Nigeria’s leading sesame-producing states—has long faced challenges transporting raw seeds to distant processing centres.
According to him, the new plant will significantly reduce transportation costs and enhance value addition, ultimately increasing profitability for farmers and exporters.
A major sesame, soybean and cereal supplier, Danjuma Yusuf, also lauded the project. He credited Anna Darius Ishaku, wife of former Governor Darius Ishaku, for championing the idea, stating that the initiative was “long overdue.”
Yusuf recalled that local producers previously transported sesame seeds to Lagos for processing before exporting to markets in Qatar, Dubai, Japan and Doha. He noted that Taraba missed out on a 2022 contract for the supply of 320 tonnes of sesame—awarded instead to Jigawa State—due to the absence of a processing facility.
He expressed optimism that the new plant would change this narrative.
Yusuf pledged to mobilise marketers across the state to patronise the facility, saying it would provide a “soft landing” for farmers, enhance revenue generation, expand market participation and improve Taraba’s economic fortunes.
Stakeholders at the event said the plant reflects growing international confidence in Taraba’s agricultural potential and marks a step forward in the state’s drive to industrialise its crop value chains.
