The World Trade Organisation, has charged Nigeria and other African countries to improve the quality of their shea exports, as a lot of the commodities do not meet the sanitary and phytosanitary measures required for export.
It also pointed out that despite the clear benefits and advantages in the production of shea, much of the potential of this commodity was still untapped.
The Director-General, World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, while delivering a virtual address at the 2024 Shea Annual Conference organised by the Global Shea Alliance in Abuja, said it was crucial to look at the shea value chain beyond farming and processing for butter.
Okonjo-Iweala stated that her organisation had been assisting Nigerians and other countries to improve on the export of shea products, as this would positively impact the economy of the concerned nations.
She said, “At the WTO, shea is one of the main agricultural export of over eight of our members including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte D’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Togo. In Ghana alone, shea butter exports were valued at over $92m in 2022, and over one million women are involved in this sector.
“However, despite the clear benefits and advantages that shea brings to our women, much of the potential of this sector is still untapped. A lot of our shea products do not meet the sanitary and phytosanitary measures required for export, and this is hindering many countries from being able to export.
“In addition, it is crucial that we look at the shea value chain beyond farming and processing for butter. How can we in Africa begin to manufacture more finished shea products?”
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