This paper explores the roles of strong suppliers in shea kernel supply chains and the impact of their roles on the livelihood of weak suppliers (rural women) who are engaged in shea nut picking and processing. In the last few years, the media recognised that the Nigerian shea butter industry is not fully regulated, and it is confronted with a lot of sustainability challenges. While there is a call on the relevant stakeholders to take
responsible action such as public enlightenment
and reshaping of the supply chain network. The
mechanisms that supports and create connections
for actors involved in the supply chain is not very
clear and as such the measures taken by the
stakeholders to curb the menace seems not to hit
the target. Furthermore, the negative effect of these
activities on the weak suppliers seems to be greatly
ignored. Therefore, studying the relationships
between the strong and weak suppliers defines the
specific roles of actors involved in shea kernel
trade: More specifically, the local buying agents
(LBAs) who create and hold the link to the broader
domestic and export supply chain are studied
