Nigeria, Oct. 19 -- On a Friday morning in May, a tired Omosehin Adekanle stared at a heap of palm kernels at her milling store in Okitipupa, a town in Ondo State, and a major palm oil-producing area in Nigeria. The 45-year-old woman had spent the night at the store with her workers ahead of a delivery deadline.

The team of workers, including six women and five men, had extracted seven oil drums (1.4 metric tonnes). However, Mrs Adekanle needed to supply 20 drums, and time was not on her side.

"Five customers are waiting for supplies from this production," said the exhausted woman. "We worked overnight, having started by 8 a.m. yesterday. We didn't sleep."

Women are the main players in the palm oil industry in Okitipupa. However, lack ...