Singapore commodity trader partners AI and digital logistics firms to boost sesame output in Nigeria

Commodity processing and trading firm Robust International has entered into agreements with two fellow Singaporean entities – Adatos, which employs AI to improve agricultural yields, and Trames, a digital freight management platform – to boost its sesame operations in Nigeria.

Robust International sources a broad array of agricultural commodities from Africa, with an emphasis on sesame seeds and cashew nuts, which are then distributed to its global clientele. At the recent Africa Singapore Business Forum, the firm inked a partnership with Adatos to leverage its AI expertise for insights into weather patterns, yield predictions, and nutrient usage for sesame crops in Nigeria. It also signed an agreement with Trames to provide bespoke logistics management solutions for its business.

Nigeria ranks as the world’s sixth-largest sesame producer and is third in Africa, following Sudan and Tanzania. Most of this production is concentrated in the drier northern region. Sesame crops represent about a quarter of Nigeria's agricultural exports by value. In 2002, the country exported sesame seeds valued at US$330m; of this, 40% went to China, 22% to Japan, and 9% to Vietnam. 

Yet, the industry isn't without its challenges. Most of the sesame cultivation in Nigeria is in the hands of small-scale farmers, who suffer from inadequate access to modern farm equipment and techniques. Nigeria also has a shortage of sesame processing facilities. Most sesame seeds are still processed by hand, which negatively impacts quality and leads to high wastage. 

Last year, Robust International signed an US$18m loan agreement with the IFC to set up warehouses and processing centres for sesame in northern Nigeria. The storage facilities will help smallholder farmers avoid storing their crops in poor conditions, which is a major cause of post-harvest losses. In addition, it will allow Robust International to boost its direct sourcing volumes from these farmers.

Besides Nigeria Robust International also sources cashew nuts and sesame from Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mozambique, where it is similarly looking to invest in warehousing and processing facilities.

 

References

‘Sesame seed can generate over $1bn annually for Nigeria – NSSAN', Vanguard Media, 12 October 2019

‘Which country produces the most sesame seeds?', Helgi Library, 12 January 2023

‘Robust International Pte Ltd', Ministry of Education Singapore, 16 January 2023

‘Nigeria’s top 10 agric exports in Q1 2023’, Business Day, 13 June 2023

‘Robust International Pte Ltd', FMO, 18 July 2023

‘Five new business deals signed as more Singapore firms respond to call of Africa', The Straits Times, 29 August 2023

‘Keynote address by Minister Gan Kim Yong at the Africa Singapore Business Forum 2023', Ministry of Trade and Industry Singapore, 29 August 2023

‘Your personal concierge from farm to consumer', Robust International, Accessed 11 September 2023
‘List of importing markets for a product exported by Nigeria: 120740 Sesamum seeds, whether or not broken’, International Trade Centre, Accessed 11 September 2023