President Bola Tinubu has approved a one-year extension of the ban on the export of raw shea nuts, effective from February 26, 2026, to February 25, 2027.
The development was disclosed on Wednesday in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the extension reflects the administration’s commitment to industrial development, domestic value addition, and the broader objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The ban is aimed at boosting local processing capacity, improving livelihoods in shea-producing communities, and expanding Nigeria’s export base through value-added products rather than raw commodities.
To strengthen implementation, the President authorised the Ministers of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Presidential Food Security Coordination Unit (PFSCU) to coordinate a unified, evidence-based national framework aligning industrialisation, trade, and investment priorities across the shea value chain.
Tinubu also approved the adoption of an export framework developed by the Nigerian Commodity Exchange (NCX) and directed the withdrawal of all waivers previously granted for the direct export of raw shea nuts.
Under the new directive, any surplus raw shea nuts must be exported strictly through the NCX framework in line with approved guidelines.
Additionally, the President instructed the Federal Ministry of Finance to open a dedicated NESS Support Window to enable the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment pilot a Livelihood Finance Mechanism designed to strengthen production and processing capacity.
Tinubu had earlier imposed a six-month ban on raw shea nut exports last year to stimulate domestic processing and protect Nigeria’s shea industry.
Shea nuts — harvested from shea trees predominantly found in Nigeria’s Savanna belt — are processed into shea butter, widely used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food production. Processed shea butter can fetch between 10 and 20 times the price of raw nuts in international markets.
The Federal Government reiterated its commitment to policies that promote inclusive growth, local manufacturing, and Nigeria’s competitiveness in global agricultural value chains.
