By Ismaeel Aleem
President Bola Tinubu has approved a six-month ban on the export of raw shea nuts, effective immediately, to strengthen Nigeria’s shea industry and curb informal cross-border trade.
The directive, announced by Vice President Kashim Shettima during a multi-stakeholder meeting at the Presidential Villa, aims to transform Nigeria into a global supplier of refined shea products, with projections to generate $300 million annually in the short term.
Shettima emphasised that the ban is not an anti-trade measure but a strategic move to enhance value addition, protect local processors, and create jobs, particularly for rural women.
READ ALSO: Education is cornerstone of Tinubu administration – SGF
“This is about industrialisation, rural transformation, gender empowerment, and expanding Nigeria’s global trade footprint,” Shettima stated.
He highlighted Nigeria’s potential to dominate the $6.5 billion global shea market, noting that despite producing nearly 40% of the world’s shea nuts, the country captures less than 1% of the market share.
By 2027, Nigeria aims to achieve a tenfold increase in earnings from the sector.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, provided further context, revealing that Nigeria produces an estimated 350,000 metric tonnes of shea annually across 30 states, with the potential to reach 900,000 tonnes.
However, informal exports, estimated at 90,000 metric tonnes yearly, have left local processors operating at only 35-50% capacity.
“While regional neighbours like Ghana and Burkina Faso have restricted raw shea exports to protect their industries, Nigeria has become a hotspot for unregulated trade,” Kyari noted.
The ban aims to secure the domestic supply and enable processors to operate at full capacity.
The policy aligns with Nigeria’s Zero Oil Plan, which identifies shea as a strategic non-oil export.
With the global shea market projected to grow to $9 billion by 2030, Nigeria’s vast shea tree endowment of over five million hectares positions it to lead in both production and value-added processing.
The ban is expected to empower rural women, who make up 90% of shea pickers and processors, fostering sustainable livelihoods and aligning with the Tinubu administration’s focus on women’s empowerment.
Shettima also revealed that Tinubu, currently in Brazil, has secured an agreement to prioritise Nigerian shea butter and oil in the Brazilian market within the next three months.
READ ALSO: Tinubu, Lula da Silva seal five MoUs to bolster Nigeria–Brazil ties
“We are not closing doors; we are opening better ones,” he said, underscoring the transformative potential of the policy for Nigeria’s economy and global trade presence.
The ban, subject to review after six months, has been met with calls for swift enforcement by the Federal Ministry of Finance and other agencies to ensure its success.
