Niger State in northern Nigeria has unveiled a sweeping initiative to plant 10 million shea trees across 10,000 hectares of land, aiming to strengthen its role in the global shea butter industry while generating employment opportunities for women and youth. Governor Umaru Bago announced the plan during the inauguration of the Salid Shea Butter Processing Plant in Kudu, a facility positioned to become a cornerstone of the state’s agricultural transformation.
The reforestation project, spearheaded by state-backed Niger Foods, seeks to address both economic and ecological challenges. By expanding shea nut availability, officials hope to attract foreign and domestic investors to a sector long hampered by fragmented production. “This initiative marks a pivotal shift toward industrializing agriculture and establishing Niger as Nigeria’s shea butter capital,” Bago stated, emphasizing partnerships with Salid Agriculture Ltd., Saudi EXIM Bank, and Nigeria’s NEXIM Bank. A $100 million irrigation program backed by Saudi financiers and a N2 billion ($1.3 million USD) public-private agreement with Salid Agriculture aim to streamline shea nut collection and processing while directly involving local communities.
Nigeria currently supplies approximately 60% of the world’s shea nuts but processes less than 10% domestically, according to NEXIM Bank Managing Director Abba Bello. The Kudu plant, with an annual capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes of shea butter, could begin closing this gap. Salid Agriculture CEO Ali Saidu noted the facility meets international standards, potentially elevating Nigeria’s position in the $5 billion global shea market.
However, challenges persist. Timipre Sylva, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, cautioned against unregulated foreign buyers allegedly distorting local prices and urged stricter oversight to protect farmers. Meanwhile, traditional leader Yahaya Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe, linked the initiative to broader environmental safeguards, calling for an end to deforestation threatening regional ecosystems.
The project aligns with federal efforts to diversify Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy, earning praise from Agriculture Minister Sabi Abdullahi as a “milestone” in President Bola Tinubu’s economic agenda. With shea butter demand rising in cosmetics and food industries, stakeholders anticipate the plan could create thousands of jobs—particularly for women, who dominate shea nut harvesting—while addressing long-standing gaps in value-added processing.
As Niger State moves to balance industrial growth with ecological preservation, the initiative’s success may hinge on sustained investment, market protections, and community engagement. For now, the commissioning of West Africa’s largest shea processing facility signals Nigeria’s intent to transition from raw material supplier to competitive global exporter.
