President Bola Tinubu has extended Nigeria’s ban on the export of raw shea nuts by another year, signalling a continued push to build a more industrialised and value-driven shea economy.
The renewed ban, which runs from February 26, 2026 to February 25, 2027, was announced Wednesday in Abuja through a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga. It follows an initial six-month ban introduced in August 2025 to curb the large-scale export of unprocessed nuts and encourage local refining of the commodity.
According to the Presidency, the extension is driven by a broader ambition to shift Nigeria away from raw commodity exports and toward higher-value manufactured goods. Officials say the policy is designed to deepen processing capacity, improve livelihoods in shea-producing communities, and boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings through finished products rather than raw materials.
“The ban aims to deepen processing capacity within Nigeria, enhance livelihoods in shea-producing communities, and promote the growth of Nigerian exports anchored on value-added products,” the statement read.
To back up the directive with structure, President Tinubu has tasked the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment — working alongside the Presidential Food Security Coordination Unit — with coordinating a unified national framework for shea value chain development. The Nigerian Commodity Exchange’s export regulatory framework has been adopted to standardise shea exports, and all existing waivers that previously permitted the direct export of raw nuts have been cancelled with immediate effect. Any surplus production must now flow strictly through the approved exchange framework.
The Federal Ministry of Finance has also been directed to open a dedicated NESS Support Window for industry operators, while the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment will pilot a Livelihood Finance Mechanism to improve production capacity and processing efficiency.
The policy has not been without controversy. Since its introduction, it has exposed deep divisions within Nigeria’s non-oil export sector, with some stakeholders warning of foreign exchange losses and supply chain disruptions, even as shea butter producers and local processors broadly welcome the direction. Reports last week indicated that the government had promised a review following stakeholder consultations — making Wednesday’s extension a firm, if expected, answer to those calls.
Shea nuts, harvested from trees spread across Nigeria’s savanna belt, are used as raw materials in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, confectionery, and edible oils. In their processed form as shea butter, they command significantly higher prices on international markets, making the case for local value addition economically compelling — at least in theory. Whether the policy delivers on that promise will depend largely on how quickly processing infrastructure and financing can scale to meet the opportunity.
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