Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has announced the state is preparing to launch its 50-tonne Shea processing factory in Kaiama Local Government Area in the state.
This is as the Governor welcomed the ban on the exportation of raw Shea butter by President Bola Tinubu, saying the step will encourage more production and strengthen the local value chain of the prized cash crop.
The processing factory, when launched, would rank as the second largest in the country and the biggest owned by a state government. It is meant to stimulate economic activities in Kwara North, given its potential to hire several local workers, including women farmers and pickers.
“Locating the factory within Kaiama puts the people at the centre of local Shea production, ensures local ownership of benefits, such as job creation, reduced post harvest losses, and value retention in Kaiama,” the Governor said in a statement.
“This project exemplifies backward and forward integration as it combines raw material sourcing, processing, and market access in one locality.” He concluded
Kwara, Niger state among others, are the hearts of Shea nut trees in Nigeria. Kwara North alone is credited with over 250,000 natural Shea producing trees spread across 6,000 hectares of land in the area.
