What you need to know:
- Rural women are powering Okere City’s growing shea butter export business.
Rural women in Otuke and Agago districts have helped expand Uganda’s shea butter exports, with Okere Shea Cooperative Society Limited shipping 23 metric tonnes of Nilotica shea butter to the United States.
The Okere City Project flagged off the 40-foot container on October 18, 2026. The consignment will be supplied to Forested and Banks Beauty, two international partners serving the market for Uganda’s Nilotica shea butter.
The shipment is Okere City’s second to the United States, following an inaugural consignment of nine metric tonnes in September 2025.
Okere City founder and chief executive officer Ojok Okello told Monitor on Monday, October 19, that the cooperative had increased its export volume by 156 per cent.
“If we do the simple math, we were able to increase our export volume by up to 156 per cent. This is thanks to the incredible hard work of the 1,000 women shea collectors in Agago and Otuke districts, who not only collected the nuts but also made sure they were cleaned and stored well,” Mr Okello said.
Investment in quality
To meet international standards, the project has invested in processing and storage infrastructure, including modern shea butter processing equipment, dedicated drying areas, cold rooms and refrigeration systems.
Mr Okello said the facilities help ensure that products reaching the market meet high-quality standards.
The cooperative’s progress has been supported by partnerships with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development through the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) Project, Otuke District Local Government and Palladium, alongside commercial buyers such as Forested and Banks Beauty.
The project is built on the belief that collective action and the use of local resources can transform rural communities. Its leaders say the latest export reflects their motto, “a living wind blows”, which represents continuing progress and community empowerment.
Call to farmers
Okere City has urged farmers across the Lango and Acholi sub-regions to recognise the economic potential of the Nilotica shea tree.
Farmers are encouraged to conserve mature shea trees, plant more seedlings, adopt sustainable harvesting practices and organise themselves into producer groups to improve access to markets.
In a statement issued on Monday, the cooperative also called for increased investment in rural agro-processing, affordable financing, renewable energy, transport infrastructure and value-chain development to help more Ugandan products reach international markets.
“Our message to the young people and women of northern Uganda is simple: do not underestimate what can emerge from our villages. We may face enormous challenges, but with determination, organisation, hard work and the right partnerships, we can build enterprises that serve the world. Our rural communities are not places without a future. They are places where the future can be created,” Mr Okello said.
Beyond the export figures, the cooperative says the shipment’s wider significance lies in the economic opportunities it creates for rural women, the jobs supported by local processing and the growing prospects for northern Uganda to build a competitive and sustainable shea industry.