Harvesting and Sun-Drying Shea Nuts

The process of shea butter production commences with the collection of shea nuts that have naturally fallen from the shea trees. In the image on the left, WOFSHEAMS women are seen picking shea nuts, while the image on the right provides a closer view of the harvested nuts.

Once harvested, the shea nuts undergo sun-drying, a crucial step before they are packed into bags, preparing them for the subsequent stages of shea butter production.

Packaging Shea Nuts

Following the drying process, the shea nuts are carefully bagged and stored, awaiting transportation to the WOFSHEAMS production center. In the WOFSHEAMS production center, bags of shea nuts are ready for processing, as depicted alongside Olukemi Ayodele, the leader of WOFSHEAMS Nigeria.

Crushing Shea Nuts

At the heart of the production process is the crushing of shea nuts, a pivotal step that takes place within the WOFSHEAMS production center. This stage is essential for extracting shea butter.

Kneading Shea Butter

The kneading process is an integral part of shea butter production at the WOFSHEAMS production center. It plays a key role in transforming the crushed shea nuts into the rich and nourishing shea butter.

Boiling Shea Butter

The final stages of shea butter production involve boiling the shea butter mixture, refining and purifying it to achieve the desired quality. This boiling process takes place within the WOFSHEAMS production center, culminating in the creation of high-quality shea butter products.

The journey from harvesting shea nuts to the final production of shea butter involves a series of carefully orchestrated steps at the WOFSHEAMS production center, led by dedicated individuals like Olukemi Ayodele.