West Africa Soy Industries Limited WASIL, a member of the Tropical General Investment (TGI) Group and a leading Nigeria-based agribusiness and edible oils and fats processing company has joined the Global Shea Alliance “GSA”.

The company has also 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, TGI Group through WASIL in partnership with the GSA will support 10,000 women shea collectors and processors in the Niger, Kebbi and Kwara State. The public-private partnership will enhance the business skills of women, provide access to storage facilities, connect them directly to markets while also building their capacity to effectively manage the shea parklands. These efforts are part of the USAID-funded sustainable shea initiative which aims to improve women’s market access and profitability.

Simballa Sylla, President of GSA said;

“We’re very pleased to see industry leaders take action and invest in sustainability. This partnership will not only contribute to the development of the Nigeria shea sector but also to the achievement of the GSA’s 2020 -25 strategic objectives – to expand local value addition by 50% and empower over 500,000 women and improve community resilience. We truly look forward to an impactful partnership with TGI”

Osenaga Umobuarie, Head of sustainability at TGI said,

“We are elated to join the GSA and we stand by our goal of promoting the sustainability of the shea sector through empowerment of women collectors, parkland conservation and seedling planting. This project encompasses the sensitive areas that need attention and we are very pleased to work with GSA to impact, positively and in the long term, the shea industry and its beneficiaries”