Abuja: The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has praised the Federal Government’s recent decision to ban the exportation of raw shea butter, calling it a crucial move to empower local processors and open new opportunities within the agricultural value chain. Speaking at the conclusion of a three-day National Workshop on Agro-Value-Chain Capacity Building for Women Farmers in Abuja, Mrs. Tinubu, represented by Hajiya Nana Shettima, the Wife of the Vice President, emphasized the ban’s potential to strengthen Nigeria’s agro-processing sector, particularly benefiting the women who dominate the industry.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the workshop, organized in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), aimed at equipping women farmers with modern skills, knowledge, and access to global markets. Mrs. Tinubu highlighted that women represent over 95 percent of small-scale shea butter processors nationwide. She remarked that retaining production within Nigeria would not only reduce the exploitation of raw products but also stimulate domestic value addition.
“This decision underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to boosting local agro-processing capacity. By retaining production within our borders, we are empowering women to scale their businesses, improve household incomes, and contribute to national food security,” she stated.
Delivering her address and closing remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, hailed the workshop as a pivotal moment for Nigerian women in agriculture. She pointed out the significant role women play in the sector, despite being under-represented in land ownership, credit access, mechanization, and leadership roles. Suleiman-Ibrahim underscored that providing women with equal access to resources could potentially raise agricultural yields by 20-30 percent, thereby enhancing food security for millions of Nigerians.
The Minister also introduced the Women Agro Value Expansion (WAVE) Programme, targeting 10 million women across Nigeria. The initiative aims to provide women with climate-smart technologies, affordable financing, agri-business skills, and market access. “With the right support, our women will not only feed the nation, they will feed Africa,” she declared.
Participants at the workshop expressed gratitude for the initiative. Afiniki Bubmba, representing the Country Women Association Network (KANET), described the training as transformative and expressed eagerness to initiate a mini-greenhouse project at home. Another participant, Aisha Burka, also from KANET, emphasized the immeasurable knowledge gained and her intention to mobilize 100 to 200 women to benefit from it. She stressed the importance of agriculture as a platform for leadership, wealth creation, and national transformation, encouraging women to embrace farming as both an economically rewarding and essential venture for food security.
