Which palm oil is best for soap making? A practical guide to CPO, RBD palm oil, palm stearin and palm kernel oil in soap, what each does for hardness and lather, and how to source it in bulk in Nigeria.

Nigeria produces enormous quantities of Crude Palm Oil but captures almost none of the value in Palm Kernel Oil or refined products. Understanding the difference between CPO, PKO, and RBDPO is the first step to understanding where the money actually is.

A tonne of crude palm oil retails for up to ₦2 million. The smallholder who grew the fruit behind it sells raw bunches for about ₦320,000 a tonne. This article follows the money, and explains the cooperative structure that changes the equation.