Stakeholders in the Shea sector are making efforts to protect the Shea ecosystem and boost environmental sustainability.
Related Posts
The stakeholders made their submissions on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2024 Annual Conference of the Global Shea Alliance tagged “Shea 2024.”
The conference, which is hosted by National Shea Product Association of Nigeria (NASPAN), has the theme “Bridging the Gap.’’
Speaking at the event Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General, World Trade Organisation (WTO), said that to ensure sustainability and protect the environment over 15,000 Shea trees were planted in the beneficiary countries.
“Trade in Shea products remains rooted in sustainable practices and all stakeholders have a critical role to play which ensure the preservation of the Shea tree and also continues the fight against climate change.
“Shea butter has been referred to as women’s gold for centuries currently over 16 million women in West Africa make a living from farming and processing Shea nuts it is estimated that women make 237 million dollars in direct income from Shea.
“85 per cent of Shea exports is used as cocoa butter equivalent and 25 per cent are used for cosmetics.’’
The director-general said that the cosmetics Shea market was worth over 600 million dollars and expected to reach about 850 million dollars by the end 2027.
“At the WTO Shea is one of the main agriculture export of over eight of our members in Ghana alone Shea butter exports was valued as 92 million dollars in 2022 and over one million women are involved in this sector.
“In addition, it is crucial that we look at the Shea value chain beyond farming and processing the butter how can we in Africa begin to manufacture more finished Shea product.
“At WTO, we have partnered with the International Trade Centre, a sister organization, unveil a 50 million dollars women exporters in the digital economic fund to economically empower women entrepreneurs by leveraging the potential of digitalisation to help them access global value chains,’’ she said.
On his part, Alhaji Shehu Chindo Yamusa, the Emir of Keffi Kingdom, Nasarawa State, said that despite the seeming bounty of Shea butter products in markets and on beauty counters globally, little known threats to Shea trees were looming.
“Rural women collect its nuts and process them to make Shea butter; a significant source of income where there are few other options.
“The Shea tree shares field space with staple food crops, providing ecosystem services of erosion control, groundwater recharge, and leaf mulch.’’
He said that the local causes and consequences of felling shear trees could reverberate internationally as market projections predicted continued growth in exports of Shea nuts and butter to Europe and North America, with new markets developing in East Asia by 2019.
“Global demand for Shea butter is driven by Shea butter’s value as an edible fat that can be used in chocolate, as well as in skin, hair, and other personal care products,” he said.
Gov. Mohammed Bago of Niger, represented by Mr Aminu Takuma, Commissioner of Investment in the state, said that the conference promised to be a landmark gathering to address the challenges and barriers in Shea development for sustainability in the Nigerian Shea Industry.
He urged all stakeholders in the Shea value chain to foster collaboration, share best practices and explore innovative solutions to overcome the challenges facing the Shea Industry adding that together they can bridge the gap in the industry.
Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, said that hat the alliance had challenged many other international commodity organisations through its capacity development programmes and its ability to provide business opportunities and market linkages to its members.
“The theme of this edition is highly germane to the country’s current economic experience.
“It is a well-known fact that without bridging the gap between policies and implementation; other efforts to improving service delivery will not be effective at all.
“We will also continue to provide physical infrastructures for existing investments to thrive and make every part of the country attractive to new investors,” the minister assured.
Mrs Nonye Ayeni, Director Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), expressed satisfaction that Shea happened to be one of the products that was dear to the council and to her personally.
According to her, for so many reasons, as over 80 per cent of the people involved in Shea trade is women.
“Global market value for chocolate is estimated to be approximately 113.16 billion dollars in 2021 and expected to reach 156.74 billion dollars in 2030.
“For the cosmetics industry, it stands at 380.2billion dollars and is expected to reach 453.0 billion dollars in 2026.
“The opportunities for Shea to transform Nigeria’s economy includes in the area of job creation, value addition and women empowerment,” she explained.
