President Bola Tinubu has approved the extension of the ban on the export of raw shea nuts for another year, from February 26, 2026, to February 25, 2027.
The approval, announced in a State House press release on Wednesday, signals the administration’s continued push to boost domestic processing, deepen value addition, and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial capacity within the agricultural value chain.
According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the decision is aligned with the government’s industrialisation objectives under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The decision underscores the administration’s commitment to advancing industrial development, strengthening domestic value addition, and supporting the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” the statement read.
The presidency explained that the policy is designed to expand Nigeria’s shea processing capacity, improve livelihoods in producing communities, and promote exports anchored on value-added products rather than raw commodities.
“To further these objectives, President Tinubu has authorised the two Ministers of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Presidential Food Security Coordination Unit to coordinate the implementation of a unified, evidence-based national framework that aligns industrialisation, trade, and investment priorities across the shea nut value chain,” the statement added.
The President also approved the adoption of an export framework established by the Nigerian Commodity Exchange and ordered the withdrawal of all existing waivers permitting the direct export of raw shea nuts.
“He also approved the adoption of an export framework established by the Nigerian Commodity Exchange and the withdrawal of all waivers allowing the direct export of raw shea nuts,” Onanuga stated.
Under the new directive, any surplus raw shea nuts must be exported strictly through the Nigerian Commodity Exchange framework.
“The President directed that any excess supply of raw shea nuts should be exported exclusively through the NCX framework, in accordance with the approved guidelines,” the statement noted.
Tinubu further directed the Federal Ministry of Finance to provide access to a dedicated NESS Support Window to enable the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to pilot a Livelihood Finance Mechanism aimed at strengthening production and processing capacity.
Shea nuts, derived from the shea tree found largely in Nigeria’s savanna belt, serve as the primary raw material for shea butter — a high-value product widely used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and edible oils. The Federal Government noted that processed shea butter commands significantly higher prices in international markets.
“The Federal Government encourages processing shea nuts into butter locally, as butter fetches between 10 and 20 times the price of the raw nuts,” the statement added.
PUNCH Online had reported that the Federal Government first imposed a six-month temporary ban on the export of raw shea nuts on August 26, 2025, as part of measures to boost local processing, encourage value addition, and curb the export of unprocessed commodities.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, had assured stakeholders during a validation session in Abuja that the policy would be reviewed in light of concerns over its effects on producers, exporters, and foreign exchange earnings.
The latest extension indicates the government’s resolve to sustain the restriction as part of broader efforts to reposition Nigeria from a raw material exporter to a competitive hub for refined and value-added agricultural products.
