What is Shea Butter?
Shea butter is simply the fat extracted from the African Shea tree nut (Vitellaria Paradoxa). The original color of Shea butter is yellow when raw or unrefined, but changes to white after refining processes. Shea butter is a triglyceride in nature.
Shea butter is been used in the cosmetics industry as a lotion and moisturizer. It is also useful in beverage industries in the making of cocoa butter. Shea butter is a good and eatable product and many in the African world use it in their cooking.
Shea butter and Shea Oil are both important materials in the cosmetics industries. The two are used in the production of many products such as; skin and hair creams, skin moisturizer creams, hair conditioners, lip gloss, and many others.
Soap makers also make use of Shea oil in soap making to make soaps and this increases cleaning abilities. Also, Shea butter can be applied directly to skin and hair that suffer from dryness.
Basic Facts About Shea Butter From Nigeria & Africa
- Nigeria is one of the leading exporters of Shea butter in the world
- Shea butter and Shea Oil are in great demand all over the world
- Shea butter is grown in about 21 States of the 36 available in Nigeria
- Shea butter exporting has a probability of making a high-profit margin depending on the exporting dealer used
- China is the leading importer of Shea butter in the World.
Nigeria is one of the countries in the world that has an abundance of agricultural produce to export to other countries and international buyers.
Shea butter made in Nigeria has a very good quality and it’s abundant due to the massive raw materials available. Availability of raw materials makes it cheap to get for international buyers.
There is a very large demand for agricultural produce in Nigeria, with many international buyers always looking for products that are cheap and are of the best quality.
Exporting of Shea butter can be raw, semi-processed and it can be processed further by the buyer upon arrival to its destination.
Three Major Types Of Shea Butter Exported From Nigeria
1. The Unrefined Shea Butter
This is extracted directly and has not undergone any processing steps. It is natural and has no additional substance. The natural Shea butter is soft and in varying yellowish color. This is the best of all types to use when it comes to moisturizing skin and hair and also for healing purposes. It has all its natural strength as it has not been altered and diluted by industries.
2. The Refined Shea Butter
This Shea butter has been through some processing thereby losing the natural color, smell, and other natural strengths. It is heated to a very high temperature causing it to bleach and deodorize. This heat will cause the Shea butter to lose some effective ingredient present in it.
3. The Ultra-Refined Shea Butter
At this stage, the Shea butter would have gone through two or more filtering, this will make it change the original composition. The color would have changed to white. It is a major material in the production of many cosmetics products. The filtering processes would have removed some of the natural healthy nutrients, making it less healthy for consumption. Also, some of the addictive added during the process can make it unhealthy for consumption’s sake.
How To Buy Shea Butter/Shea Nuts In Nigeria
As an international buyer, there are two major ways you can buy shea butter/shea nuts in Nigeria. Here you will have a detailed explanation of how to go about buying shea butter/shea nuts from Nigeria without much stress.
#1. Buying From A Shea Butter/Shea Nuts Exporting Company In Nigeria
This is the most common of the two ways of buying shea butter/shea nuts in Nigeria. Buying directly from the exporting company is easy and most of the time, stress-free. This common to most of the produce that is for the exporting purpose. Though this strategy is easy and direct to use, it has significant advantages and disadvantages.
An advantage of buying shea butter/shea nuts from an exporting company in Nigeria is that the International buyer can place a Letter of Credit (L/C), the shea butter/shea nut seller in Nigeria will send the shea butter/shea nut shipment and will get paid on the terms of the Letter of Credit.
Now, the disadvantage is of this is that although the technique is easy and safe to follow, the shea butter/shea nuts will be sold to the buyer at a very high price which the buyer may not be aware of.
An important question that should be on our minds now is how to find shea butter/shea nuts exporters in Nigeria. You can use any of the methods listed below;
- Attend trade fairs
- Use search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc
- Search for agents on Linkedln
- Sign up on trade platforms
- Contact Neogric – Neogric is one of the reliable shea butter/shea nut exporters in Nigeria. Neogric is rated among the best in the exporting business in Nigeria. The company is not limited to the exportation of raw shea butter/shea nuts alone but can export other agricultural produce ranging from perishables to dry seeds.
#2. Partnering With A Shea Butter/Shea Nuts Export Company In Nigeria
As an international buyer of shea butter/shea nut, you tend to get the product cheaper compared to the first method. You tend to make more profit with this method than the one given above.
The company will need to initially obtain a certificate of registration of the company on foreign participation from the Nigerian Investments Promotion Council (NIPC). After which the company will need to show proof that the foreign entity has invested in the business to get a business permit from the Federal Ministry of Interior (FMI).
The company will then need to obtain a Certificate of Capital Importation (CCI) to serve as proof that the investor’s fund has been received in Nigeria.
This will give the international buyer a direct partnership with the local company here in Nigeria and can provide funds to purchase as many as possible and available. This will not only bring massive profit but will ensure that the interest of both parties is protected.
Neogric Can Solve Your Shea Butter/Shea Nuts Needs
Looking for a trusted shea butter/shea nuts exporter who can help with all of these? Look no further than Neogric. Partner with us today and get your shea butter/shea nuts in record time and at a competitive price. Fill the form below to get started.