NATIONAL LAUNCH OF SHEA NIGERIA BRAND

ABOUT CBI: The Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) is part of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and commissioned by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. CBI supports the transition towards inclusive growth by helping MSMEs in developing Countries strengthen their economic social and environmental sustainability. This is achieved through exports from such countries to Europe.

ABOUT CBI-NEPC SHEA NIGERIA EXPORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (2022-2026)

The CBI-NEPC Nigeria Shea Project 2022-2025 is a 4 years intervention program being implemented in Nigeria by the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries CBI. The project  implementation in Nigeria is in partnership with the NEPC and the collaboration of two private sector business support organizations, namely Shea empowerment foundation, SEF and Shea Women Association of Nigeria, SWAN.

The long -term vision of the project is to support the transformation of the Nigerian Shea sector to generate high value and sustainable  Shea products for EU and regional markets.

The Project was formally launched on the 28^th Sept. 2022 by the Hon. Minster, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment during the strategic conference held at the conference hall of the NEPC Headquarters in Abuja. This project  involved the signing of  an MoU signed with the NEPC.

This  project was initiated to assist in curbing some challenges facing the sector in Nigeria. The identified challenges include; lack of processing facilities, standard processing capabilities, unorganized market structure. Also, because Shea trees grow in the wild, the women pickers in the Nigeria Shea industry are exposed to security risk due to banditry and insecurity. As a result of these challenges, most of the Nigeria Shea is exported as unprocessed nuts while a significant amount is  smuggled across neighboring West African countries like Ghana, Benin Republic and processed for export.

Within the framework of the implementation of the project workplan, the expected deliverables of the project include:

1. The establishment of a business cluster for the Shea sector in Nigeria
2. The development of a Sector Export Marketing Plan (SEMP)
3. Development of a branding Strategy and brand logo for Shea Nigeria sector.
4. Market Access: Sponsorship by the CBI of the 12 shea Nigeria companies participating in the project to participate in 3 market orientation Mission (MOM)