The golden seeds of Nigeria’s shea trees are finally being transformed into more than raw exports. In Kudu, a quiet town in Mokwa, a new industrial giant has risen: a 30,000-metric-tonne annual shea processing plant, the largest of its kind in Africa, courtesy of Salid Agriculture Nigeria Limited.
The timing couldn’t be more symbolic. Just days after President Bola Tinubu slammed the brakes on raw shea nut exports, insisting that Nigeria must no longer be a supplier of cheap raw materials to the world, Niger State has stepped forward to answer the call.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, brimming with pride at the inauguration, called it “the dawn of a new era,” where Niger would no longer be known just for its vast farmlands but as the global hub of shea butter. His government has already allocated 10,000 hectares of land for shea cultivation, tying farmers, women, and youth directly into the value chain.
Ali Saidu, CEO of Salid Agriculture, laid out an ambitious vision: scaling up to 400 metric tonnes daily, rolling out a refinery, and turning Nigeria from an exporter of raw shea nuts into a refined, value-added powerhouse. “We’re not only creating products, we’re creating wealth that stays in Nigeria,” he said.
The project is backed by NEXIM Bank, whose CEO, Abba Bello, reminded the crowd that while Nigeria produces 60 percent of the world’s shea nuts, it has long missed out on the real profits because it lacked large-scale processors. “This plant is a statement that Nigeria is ready to keep more of the value at home,” Bello declared, teasing four more plants in the pipeline.
And the ripple effect goes beyond numbers. Through partnerships with GIZ and DFID, Salid is organizing thousands of rural women into cooperatives, giving dignity to grassroots labor and putting women at the heart of the new shea economy.
Yet, amid the excitement, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, offered a reminder: sustainability. Shea trees take years to mature, and reckless deforestation could jeopardize the industry’s future. His words grounded the celebration in responsibility—industrialization must not come at the expense of the environment.
For Nigeria, the days of exporting raw nuts are over. With Tinubu’s policy shift and Niger State’s bold leap, the shea industry is no longer just about butter for cosmetics and chocolates. It’s about national pride, jobs for women and youth, and Nigeria stepping confidently into its role as a global value creator.
The world’s demand for shea is rising. And this time, Nigeria intends to own it.
