Divisi
When to plant Sesame in Nigeria
Known here as ridi · eeku · isasa
Sesame — also called simsim or benniseed — is a tough, upright oilseed that grows from knee to shoulder height and gives a seed that is about half oil.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 10 Jun 2027 – 30 Jun 2027 opens in 36 weeks | 10 Jun 2026 – 17 Nov 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.0 t/ha | about 1.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 8 Sep 2027 to 7 Nov 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–130 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 65–129 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 82% | |
Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.
If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 20 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Nigeria leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 30 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Nigeria
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For sesame in Nigeria, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2026 season in Nigeria
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,111 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 232 mm in the driest of 774 districts to about 3,692 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September and October look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.7 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can. |
| What that supports | enough rain for one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 44% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 226 growing days · about 1,160 mm · April to November |
|---|---|
| 38% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 144 growing days · about 700 mm · May to October |
| 9% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 318 growing days · about 2,380 mm · February to December |
| 4% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 278 growing days · about 1,550 mm · February to November |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 774 areas within it
Limited water holds back about 20% of yield here.
What sesame needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.5 |
| Rain it needs | About 300–600 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 37 cm between rows, 7 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus and boron |
What it takes to grow sesame in Nigeria
| Planting material | About 265,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 55 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 15 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 50 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
| Hand work | 65–129 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a sesame crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.
What to watch for
Grow Sesame with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Nigeria as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.
Where to sell Sesame nearby
Sesame in nearby districts
This calendar moves
Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.
Frequently asked questions
Will sesame grow well in Nigeria?
Nigeria rates as favourable for sesame.
When should I plant sesame in Nigeria?
Typically 10 Jun 2027 to 30 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Nigeria, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
