President Bola Tinubu has directed an immediate six-month ban on the export of raw shea nuts, in a move aimed at boosting local processing, curbing informal trade, and positioning Nigeria as a global hub for shea derivatives.
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Vice President Kashim Shettima, who announced the presidential order on Tuesday during a multi-stakeholder meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the policy was not anti-trade but a strategic measure to secure raw materials for local processors and stimulate rural income.
“This is not a trade restriction but a value-addition policy,” Shettima said. “It will transform Nigeria from an exporter of raw shea nut to a global supplier of refined shea butter, oil, and other derivatives. It is about industrialisation, rural transformation, gender empowerment, and expanding Nigeria’s global trade footprint.”
The vice president explained that Nigeria produces nearly 40 percent of global shea products but captures only one percent of the $6.5 billion global market. He projected that the sector could generate $300 million annually in the short term and achieve a tenfold increase by 2027.
He further disclosed that President Tinubu had already secured a commitment from Brazil to open its market to Nigerian shea butter and oil within the next three months.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister, Abubakar Kyari, who also spoke at the meeting, lamented that despite Nigeria’s dominance in shea nut production, the country lags behind regional neighbours such as Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Togo, which have already imposed export restrictions to protect their industries.
Kyari said Nigeria produces an estimated 350,000 metric tonnes of shea annually across 30 states, with the potential to reach 900,000 metric tonnes. However, over 90,000 tonnes are lost each year to informal cross-border trade, while local processors operate at just 35 to 50 percent of their installed capacity.
“Without corrective action, Nigeria risked becoming a raw depot for opportunistic buyers, undermining our processors, disempowering rural women, and forfeiting billions in potential revenue,” Kyari said.
Highlighting the gender dimension, he noted that 90 percent of shea pickers and processors are women, meaning the policy directly supports women’s empowerment and rural livelihoods.
The government stressed that the temporary ban would be subject to review after six months, with the expectation that it would secure supply for local processors, create jobs, and allow Nigeria to capture a larger share of the $9 billion global shea market projected by 2030.
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