Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has announced an ambitious plan to plant 10 million Shea trees across 10,000 hectares of land in the state, as part of efforts to boost Shea butter production and create jobs for youths and women.
The governor made this known at the commissioning of the Salid Shea Butter Processing Plant in Kudu, Mokwa Local Government Area, calling the initiative a major step toward industrializing the states agriculture sector and positioning Niger as the Shea butter hub of Nigeria.
Bago revealed that the initiative is being championed by Niger Foods and will make shea nuts readily available to attract local and foreign investors into the sector.
The governor said that the state is also in partnership with Salid Agriculture Ltd., Saudi EXIM Bank, and Nigerias NEXIM Bank, with the Saudi partners committing to a $100 million irrigation project.
Governor Bago told the gathering that a N2 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Niger Foods and Salid Agriculture Ltd. under a public-private partnership model.
The agreement, he said, is designed to directly engage women and youth in shea nut collection, which will then be sold directly to the factory.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of NEXIM Bank, Abba Bello, said Nigeria produces about 60 percent of the worlds shea nuts, but lacks sufficient industrial capacity for large-scale processing. He said the banks commitment to supporting the full value chain in Niger State, in collaboration with the Salid factory.
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The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sabi Abdullahi, commended Governor Bago for the bold agricultural investments, describing the project as a major milestone in the effort to diversify Nigerias economy in line with President Bola Tinubus vision.
Ali Saidu, Chief Executive Officer of Salid Agriculture Nigeria Ltd., said the factory in Kudunow one of Nigerias leading agro-processing facilitieshas a production capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes of shea butter annually. He stressed that the plant is positioned to meet global standards and enhance Nigerias competitiveness in the international market.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, lauded Bagos leadership but raised concerns over foreign buyers infiltrating local forests and distorting market prices. He urged the governor to regulate access to protect local investments.
In his remarks, the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Yahaya Abubakar, expressed satisfaction with the development. He called for collective efforts to halt the indiscriminate felling of trees, which he warned posed serious environmental threats.
