Sesame seed — Area harvested in Nigeria
Nigeria: Sesame seed — Area harvested was 350,000 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Sesame seed — Area harvested in Nigeria, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
In 2024, sesame seed — area harvested in Nigeria stood at 350,000 ha.
The figure is down 37.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sesame seed — area harvested in Nigeria peaked at 1.01 million ha in 2017 and was at its lowest, 85,500 ha, in 1987.
That places Nigeria 12th out of 72 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Sesame seed — Area harvested in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 200,000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 210,000 ha | +5.0% |
| 1963 | 185,000 ha | -11.9% |
| 1964 | 195,000 ha | +5.4% |
| 1965 | 210,000 ha | +7.7% |
| 1966 | 220,000 ha | +4.8% |
| 1967 | 185,000 ha | -15.9% |
| 1968 | 190,000 ha | +2.7% |
| 1969 | 200,000 ha | +5.3% |
| 1970 | 107,000 ha | -46.5% |
| 1971 | 114,000 ha | +6.5% |
| 1972 | 117,000 ha | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 120,000 ha | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 122,000 ha | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 125,000 ha | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 125,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 128,000 ha | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 130,000 ha | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 130,000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 135,000 ha | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 140,000 ha | +3.7% |
| 1982 | 145,000 ha | +3.6% |
| 1983 | 100,000 ha | -31.0% |
| 1984 | 103,300 ha | +3.3% |
| 1985 | 116,700 ha | +13.0% |
| 1986 | 104,700 ha | -10.3% |
| 1987 | 85,500 ha | -18.3% |
| 1988 | 90,000 ha | +5.3% |
| 1989 | 100,000 ha | +11.1% |
| 1990 | 110,000 ha | +10.0% |
| 1991 | 115,000 ha | +4.5% |
| 1992 | 122,100 ha | +6.2% |
| 1993 | 129,400 ha | +6.0% |
| 1994 | 126,700 ha | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 133,000 ha | +5.0% |
| 1996 | 139,000 ha | +4.5% |
| 1997 | 140,000 ha | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 143,000 ha | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 143,700 ha | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 151,000 ha | +5.1% |
| 2001 | 153,000 ha | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 166,000 ha | +8.5% |
| 2003 | 167,000 ha | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 165,000 ha | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 196,000 ha | +18.8% |
| 2006 | 197,000 ha | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 299,280 ha | +51.9% |
| 2008 | 317,080 ha | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 308,230 ha | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 324,570 ha | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 325,000 ha | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 499,100 ha | +53.6% |
| 2013 | 526,900 ha | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 559,900 ha | +6.3% |
| 2015 | 470,100 ha | -16.0% |
| 2016 | 928,467 ha | +97.5% |
| 2017 | 1.01 million ha | +9.1% |
| 2018 | 785,800 ha | -22.4% |
| 2019 | 782,590 ha | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 351,413 ha | -55.1% |
| 2021 | 506,666 ha | +44.2% |
| 2022 | 340,000 ha | -32.9% |
| 2023 | 350,000 ha | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 350,000 ha | +0.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 350,000 ha is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12,856 ha, 27.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 350,000 ha is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 41,975 ha, 8.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Sesame seed — Area harvested in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +97.5% | 470,100 ha | 928,467 ha |
| 2020 | -55.1% | 782,590 ha | 351,413 ha |
| 2012 | +53.6% | 325,000 ha | 499,100 ha |
| 1970 | -46.5% | 200,000 ha | 107,000 ha |
| 2007 | +51.9% | 197,000 ha | 299,280 ha |
| 2021 | +44.2% | 351,413 ha | 506,666 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 199,444 ha | 185,000 ha | 220,000 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 121,800 ha | 107,000 ha | 130,000 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 112,020 ha | 85,500 ha | 145,000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 130,190 ha | 110,000 ha | 143,700 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 211,959 ha | 151,000 ha | 317,080 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 621,516 ha | 324,570 ha | 1.01 million ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 379,616 ha | 340,000 ha | 506,666 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 9 Chad 572,153 ha compare
- 9 Türkiye 20,406 ha compare
- 10 Burkina Faso 427,819 ha compare
- 10 Syrian Arab Republic 16,087 ha compare
- 11 Mozambique 355,517 ha compare
- 12 Democratic Republic of the Congo 10,740 ha compare
- 13 China 251,800 ha compare
- 13 Lao People's Democratic Republic 6,110 ha compare
- 14 China, mainland 250,000 ha compare
- 15 Niger 248,962 ha compare
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sesame seed — area harvested in Nigeria?
- Sesame seed — area harvested in Nigeria was 350,000 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest sesame seed — area harvested recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 1.01 million ha in 2017.
- What is the lowest sesame seed — area harvested recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 85,500 ha in 1987.
- How does Nigeria rank for sesame seed — area harvested?
- Nigeria ranks 12th out of 72 countries with data for 2024.
- Is sesame seed — area harvested rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Sesame seed — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed or silage or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.