Niger To Boost Shea Nut Production, Set Up Collection Centres
Editor
Posted On Jun 15, 2016
In line with with the ongoing intensive efforts to revive agriculture and create vast investment opportunities as promised by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, the Niger State Commodity and Export Promotion Agency has presented its roadmap in complimenting this. This contains a proposal to situate Shea Nut Collection Centres in the three senatorial districts of the state.
Announcing this decision during a tour of Shea-producing parts of the State, the Director General of the Agency, Barr Zainab Gogo Aliyu explained that the plan followed the outcome of a research survey by the Agency.
The collection centre for Niger South Senatorial District will be situated in Edati, while that of Niger East will be in Beji and Munya and then the collection centre for Niger North will be in Borgu and Rijau, according to the Director-General.
The bid to boost Shea sector in Niger state is a part of the administration’s economy diversification strategy adopted to generate revenues internally for the State. This is also in identification with all involved in various processes of Shea collection and processing in the state, and its recognition of the existing and potential jobs to be created in an organised economic model for Shea production.
Similarly, the Director-General further stated that the Agency is formalising arrangement with the Nigerian Shippers Council on export of Shea. The essence of this is to present transporters of the product with Certificate of Approval to ensure their identification by the Board.
Concluding on the measures to adopt in sustaining agricultural and commercial relationships by stakeholders in the industry, Hajiya Zainab revealed the Agency’s collaboration with the Nigerian National Volunteer Service Agency on Mobilization to form a Task Force for supervising and checkmating the illegal movements in the Shea sector.
Nigeria is the leading producer of Shea nut in the world with production capacity of about 500,000 metric tons, and Niger State has been leading in the sector.
