Upgrading of Indigenous Technology for Processing Shea Butter (Vittelaria paradoxa) In Nigeria.

Abstract

Nigeria has a number of natural resources that can form the backbone of its economic development aspirations. Most of these resources are currently contributing to industrial and economic development, albeit at very low levels. This is due to the current level of their development. Some of them are, most especially, the agricultural resources are still growing in the wild and mostly processed using indigenous technologies which are laborious, low yielding with associated low quality products. This reduces their competitiveness both locally and in the international markets. Among the natural agricultural resources is the shea tree which produces shea butter. While shea butter has a muber of industrial uses globally, its development in Nigeria has not been very encouraging.  The processing of sheaut to shea butter in Nigeria is constrained by the indigenous technology being used for its production while the underdevelopment of the shea tree limits is productivity.  In view of these, a number of mandated research institutes and other stakeholders have being working to improve the shea butter output through the upgrading of the indigenous technology employed locally. A number of processing plants have been designed, fabricated and tested.  Some of these have been deployed for industrial use.  Productivity improvement programmes are being carried out on the shea tree to promote its development in plantations. These developments are leading to the overhauling of the shea nut value chain in Nigeria.  Improved shea butter processing facilities are now being used by small scale industries in parts of the country.  The sustainability of these efforts will assist in making shea butter production a virile industrial activity in Nigeria and in due course assist in foreign exchange generation.

Keywords: shea tree, shea butter, indigenous technology, fat, equipment, RMRDC.

DOI: 10.7176/IEL/13-1-07

Publication date: December 28^th 2023