President Bola Ahmed 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 move is aimed at boosting domestic value addition, industrial development, and advancing the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The extension seeks to strengthen processing capacity within Nigeria, enhance livelihoods in shea-producing communities, and promote the growth of value-added exports.
To implement the policy, the President directed the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Presidential Food Security Coordination Unit (PFSCU) to establish a unified, evidence-based national framework aligning industrialisation, trade, and investment priorities across the shea nut value chain.
President Tinubu also approved the adoption of the export framework developed by the Nigerian Commodity Exchange (NCX) and ordered the withdrawal of all waivers permitting the direct export of raw shea nuts. He further instructed that any excess supply should be exported exclusively under the NCX framework, in line with approved guidelines.
The Federal Ministry of Finance has been tasked with providing access to a dedicated NESS Support Window to enable the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to pilot a Livelihood Finance Mechanism, aimed at strengthening production and processing capacity.
Shea nuts, grown across Nigeria’s savanna belt, are the primary raw material for shea butter, which is valued in cosmetics for its moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, as well as for edible oil. The government encourages local processing of shea nuts into butter, which can command prices 10 to 20 times higher than raw nuts.
The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to policies that drive inclusive growth, support local manufacturing, and position Nigeria competitively in global agricultural value chains.
