Nigeria extends ban on raw shea nut export
Tinubu extended the ban to February 25, 2027, saying the decision 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, according to a State House statement late Wednesday.
Woman spread out roasted and grounded shea nuts on the floor so that they can dry out in Kodo, Nigeria. Shea nuts grow abundantly in Nigeria and the global shea butter market is expected to be worth $3.5 billion dollars by 2028. (Xinhua)
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ABUJA — Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has extended a ban on the export of raw shea nuts for a further year.
Tinubu extended the ban to February 25, 2027, saying the decision 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, according to a State House statement late Wednesday.
Nigeria imposed a six-month temporary ban on the export of raw shea nuts on August 26, 2025.
Tinubu has authorised the implementation of "a unified, evidence-based national framework that aligns industrialisation, trade, and investment priorities across the shea nut value chain," the statement said.
Shea nuts, harvested from the shea tree common in the Savanna belt of Nigeria, are the raw material for shea butter, renowned for its moisturising, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
The extracted butter is a principal ingredient in cosmetics for skin and hair, as well as in edible cooking oil.
The Nigerian 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.