West Africa Soy Industries joins Global Shea Alliance to boost Nigerian shea sector

03 Nov 2021 --- West Africa Soy Industries Limited (WASIL), a member of the Tropical General Investment (TGI) Group, has joined the Global Shea Alliance (GSA). 

The company has registered as a sustainable partner in line with its commitment to boost local value addition and contribute to the sustainable development of the Nigerian shea sector.

Over the next two years, the TGI Group, through WASIL’s partnership with the GSA, will support 10,000 women shea collectors and processors in the Niger, Kebbi and Kwara state. 

A boost for female empowerment
The public-private partnership will enhance the business skills of women, provide access to storage facilities, connect them directly to markets and build their capacity to manage the shea parklands effectively. 

These efforts are part of the USAID-funded sustainable shea initiative, aiming to improve women’s market access and profitability.

“We’re very pleased to see industry leaders take action and invest in sustainability,” says Simballa Sylla, president of GSA. 

Shea is a widely used plant-based fat ingredient in chocolate products, where it delivers texture and functionality.Speaking on the partnership with TGI, Sylla says it will not only contribute to the development of the Nigeria shea sector but also to the achievement of the GSA’s 2020-2025 strategic objectives – to expand local value addition by 50% and empower over 500,000 women and improve community resilience. 

“We stand by our goal of promoting the sustainability of the shea sector through the empowerment of women collectors, parkland conservation and seedling planting,” adds Osenaga Umobuarie, head of sustainability at TGI. 

This project encompasses the sensitive areas that need attention, and TGI is “very pleased” to work with GSA to impact, positively and in the long term, the shea industry and its beneficiaries, she underscores. 

Demand for shea rises
Shea is a widely used plant-based fat ingredient in chocolate products, where it delivers texture and functionality. 

AAK recently has extended its Kolo Nafaso shea sourcing program to support the growing demand for ethically produced chocolate. 

Meanwhile, in June, FoodIngredientsFirst reported that the GSA implemented a Resilient Shea Agroforestry Farm Model (RSAFM) in Nigeria. The project evaluates the economic benefits of resilient shea agroforestry farm models among shea-producing communities and improves stakeholder capacity for easy replication in the region.

GSA also revealed July as the Shea Month dedicated to protecting shea parklands. The Shea Month aims to create awareness of the need to grow more trees to safeguard parklands and promote industry sustainability.

Edited by Elizabeth Green