Okere city makes historic shea butter export to the United States

14 August 2025, 2:14 pm

By Editorial

Okere City, a community-driven social enterprise in Adwari Sub county, Otuke District, has reached a major milestone by exporting nine tonnes of shea butter to the United States for the first time.

The shea butter was produced by 480 women under the Okere City Cooperative Society, marking a breakthrough in rural industrialisation and international trade for the area.

The shipment was made under a Memorandum of Understanding between Okere City and Bands Beauty Group, a cosmetics company based in New York City, USA.

Ojok Okello, Executive Director of the Okere City Development Project, praised the achievement, describing it as the result of five years of hard work and perseverance by the women of Okere City.

Ojok, who is also aspiring to represent Otuke County as MP, revealed plans to begin paying people who cultivate shea trees as an incentive to protect the valuable species from extinction.

Boniface Otim Ogwal, a board member of Okere City responsible for publicity, said the development marks a new era of export potential for Lango and Uganda, and is expected to open up global markets for other products from the region.

Otim Ogwal also called for the conservation of shea trees and encouraged communities to treat them as a serious cash crop.

Okere City has already established a shea nut processing plant, where shea oil and related products will continue to be produced locally for both domestic and international markets.