News Investigators/ The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu says the recent ban on exportation of raw shea butter is a timely intervention that will empower local processors and create new opportunities in the agricultural value chain.
Mrs Tinubu applauded the Federal Government’s directive at the closing of a three-day National Workshop on Agro-Value-Chain Capacity Building for Women Farmers on Saturday in Abuja.
Represented by Hajiya Nana Shettima, wife of the Vice President, she said the ban is a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s agro-processing sector, particularly for women who dominate the industry.
According to her, women account for over 95 per cent of small-scale shea butter processors across Nigeria.
She added that the ban would reduce exploitation of raw products while stimulating 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 said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the workshop, jointly organised by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), focused on equipping women farmers with modern skills, knowledge, and access to global markets.
NAN also reports that participants were urged to leverage emerging opportunities in the agro-value chain to transform their livelihoods and contribute to economic growth.
Delivering her address and closing remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, described the gathering as a turning point for Nigerian women in agriculture.
She reminded stakeholders that the story of Nigeria agriculture is inseparable from the story of its women.
“Over the past days, we have sharpened knowledge, built capacity, and deepened partnerships.
“But more importantly, we have reaffirmed an undeniable truth: Nigeria’s agricultural transformation will rise or fall on the shoulders of women,” she said.
The minister highlighted the paradox of Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, where women constitute nearly 70 per cent of the labour force but remain under-represented in land ownership, credit access, mechanisation, and leadership roles.
She stressed that granting women equal access to resources could raise yields by 20–30 per cent, enough to secure food for millions more Nigerians.
Suleiman-Ibrahim also unveiled the Women Agro Value Expansion (WAVE) Programme, which targets 10 million women across Nigeria.
She said the initiative would equip women with climate-smart technologies, affordable financing, agri-business skills, and access to markets.
“With the right support, our women will not only feed the nation, they will feed Africa,” she declared.
She added that three strong commitments under the Renewed Hope Agenda were to dismantle systemic barriers limiting women’s agricultural potential, to move women from subsistence to prosperity, and to institutionalise gender equity in agricultural policies and programmes.
Some participants who spoke to NAN commended the federal government for the initiative.
A participant, Afiniki Bubmba, who represented the Country Women Association Network (KANET), described the training as life-changing.
She said the practical sessions, especially on greenhouse construction and crop sequencing, has sparked her interest to begin a mini-greenhouse project at home.
She encouraged other women to embrace agriculture and shed the stereotype of farming as “dirty work.”
Another participant, Aisha Burka, also from KANET, said the knowledge gained was immeasurable.
Burka said she was determined to mobilise between 100 and 200 women to benefit from her new knowledge.
According to her, agriculture is not only a tool for food production but also a platform for leadership, wealth creation, and national transformation.
She urged women to start small, even within their backyards, stressing that farming was both economically rewarding and essential for food security.
NAN
