Nasarawa Set for Major Agro-Boom as Doma Launches N6.4bn Sesame City

By Kure Tashilane

Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi A. Sule, has heralded a new era of agricultural investment with the launch of a N6.4 billion integrated sesame project in Doma. The Doma Agro-City project will leverage the underutilized water from the Doma Dam to cultivate and process premium organic sesame seeds for the export market.

The development follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (LBRBDA) and a private firm, AMISEC Industrial Company Limited. The agreement grants AMISEC a 15-year concession to utilize 1,000 hectares of land around the dam.

Governor Sule enthusiastically welcomed the partnership, pledging the state government's full support to ensure the investment's success. He highlighted the project's significant benefits for the local population, particularly through its out-grower scheme.

“We are committed to this initiative as it will greatly benefit the people of Nasarawa State, from the out-grower scheme to the multifaceted value chain processes involved,” the Governor stated.

He specifically commended AMISEC for allocating 350 hectares for the out-grower scheme, which is expected to empower 1,000 local farmers. Governor Sule directed relevant state ministries and the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA) to engage with the partners to secure the state's strategic interests.

The Chief Executive Officer of AMISEC, Abdulmuttalib Mohammed, outlined the project's ambitious scope. He explained that 600 hectares will be a fully mechanized nucleus farm, while 350 hectares are dedicated to the out-grower program.

In a transformative move, each participating household will manage 0.5 hectares and has the potential to earn up to N3 million annually from two production cycles.

“We are not treating these farmers as individuals but as households,” Mohammed said. “We will embed health insurance and an education protocol. Instead of children working on the farm, they can be enrolled in our mechanization training school to become skilled equipment operators.”

The Doma Agro-City is conceptualized as an agricultural real estate project, creating a complete system for the production, processing, storage, and export of certified organic sesame to markets in Japan, the EU, and the United States.

Mohammed detailed the project's integrated infrastructure, which includes:

· A 10-metric-ton-per-hour automated sesame processing plant.

· A mechanized service centre for the local farming community.

· A one-megawatt solar mini-grid to power operations and the community.

· 50 hectares set aside for infrastructure, agroforestry, and amenities like schools and agro-tourism components.

He described it as “a fully integrated value chain” and the first of its kind in Nigeria.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of the LBRBDA, Engr. Terese Ninga, said the partnership is a “critical injection of tactical expertise and investment” designed to unlock the immense potential of the Doma Dam for agricultural transformation and job creation.