President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a six-month ban on the export of raw shea nuts to curb informal trade, protect local processors, and reposition Nigeria’s shea industry for greater value addition.
Announcing the directive during a multi-stakeholder meeting in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima stated that the temporary ban subject to periodic review aims to strengthen the shea value chain and unlock up to $300 million in annual revenue in the near term.
He said the initiative would transform Nigeria into a global supplier of refined shea butter, oil, and derivatives, while driving industrialisation, rural development, gender empowerment, and expanded trade opportunities.
“By 2027, we target a ten-fold increase in earnings,” he added, highlighting agreements with Brazil to fast-track market access for Nigerian shea products within three months.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, welcomed the decision as timely and necessary. He noted that although Nigeria produces around 350,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts annually across 30 states and has the capacity to reach 900,000 tonnes local processors are operating at just 35 to 50 percent capacity.
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