A call has gone to the state and Federal Governments to come up with policies that will discourage deforestation of Shea butter tree and smuggling of shea nuts out of Nigeria’s land borders.
The Chairman of a locally made cosmetic product company, Amu Gold, Mr Temitope Amujo, made the call during a flag-off of Jimpo-ori February to Love initiative in Ilorin, the state capital.
Amujo, who noted that during the recent border closure, there were enough raw materials for shea butter processors within the country to produce, charged the state and Federal Government to also come up with grants that would encourage local manufacturing.
He further tasked the government at all levels to come up with shea plank lands as well as pepper farms as their creations would create employment opportunities for the teeming youths of the country.
The Chairman explained that the state government has made several efforts in discouraging deforestation of Shea trees but they need to do more as charcoal producers find Shea trees good for their business activities.
He lamented that if the situation is not curbed it will affect their production in terms of sourcing for raw material and this will hike the product prices to the end users.
The Chairman called on both state and federal government to initiate Shea partners to enhance production in large quantities.
He stressed the need for the government tiers to introduce policies that will curtail smuggling of Shea nuts to the neighboring countries as 60 percents of should products are being smuggled out of Nigeria.
“If there should be exportation of Shea nuts it should be processed through the right channels which the cost will discourage the exporters and with added advantage to the local Shea processors.
He appealed to the Federal Government to provide grants for processors as the cost of machineries for the production are very high.
The highlights of the programme was the presentation of gift items including vehicle to their clients.
