WACOT, BOA Launch 2026 Sesame Outgrower Programme for 10,000 Jigawa Farmers

News in Brief:

— WACOT and the Bank of Agriculture have launched a 2026 sesame outgrower programme supporting over 10,000 Jigawa farmers with financing, quality inputs, extension services and climate-smart farming practices.

— The initiative aims to boost productivity, improve rural incomes and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chains, with similar support extended to rice, maize and soybean farmers in other states.

WACOT Limited and the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) have launched the 2026 Sesame Outgrower Programme in Jigawa State, providing more than 10,000 smallholder farmers with access to financing, quality inputs, extension services and improved farming practices.

The programme, implemented under the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Programme, began with the distribution of agricultural inputs to farmers in Medu Village, Gagarawa Local Council.

Expanding Access to Finance and Farm Inputs

The WACOT Sesame Outgrower Programme has supported farmers across eight local councils in Jigawa State since launching in 2018. The food and agro-allied company revealed that it has provided more than ₦1 billion in input credit over the past seven years, as well as certified seeds, fertiliser, crop protection products and technical training through its Farmers Academy and extension services.

Under the new partnership, BOA will provide input loans to farmers, who will repay with their produce after harvest. The initiative also promotes youth and women’s participation and encourages climate-smart farming practices.

The partnership extends beyond sesame, with similar support covering rice farmers in Kebbi State and maize and soybean farmers in Katsina State.

WACOT Managing Director, Naveen Chaurasia, said improving farmers’ livelihoods was essential to strengthening the wider agricultural value chain, noting that better-performing farmers ultimately benefit producers, buyers and consumers.

Why Outgrower Schemes Matter for Rural Farmers

For smallholder farmers, programmes that combine affordable financing, quality inputs and extension support can help address some of the biggest barriers to higher productivity. Many farmers struggle to finance inputs at the beginning of the season, leaving them dependent on expensive informal credit or low-quality inputs.

Structured outgrower programmes can reduce these constraints by linking farmers to finance, technical knowledge and guaranteed market relationships. Higher yields and better-quality produce can increase farm income, while additional activities such as soap and briquette production can create alternative income opportunities for rural households.

Beneficiary farmer Laure Haladu claimed that WACOT’s support had improved farming practices and yields in her community, while skills training had created additional income opportunities for women.

The collaboration between WACOT and BOA demonstrates how partnerships between financial institutions and agribusinesses can help make agricultural financing more accessible while strengthening rural livelihoods and Nigeria’s agricultural value chains.