President Bola Tinubu has directed an immediate suspension of raw shea nut exports, signaling a shift in Nigeria’s strategy to boost local processing and value addition.
The announcement was conveyed on Tuesday in Abuja by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President. According to him, Vice-President Kashim Shettima is currently chairing a high-level implementation meeting with key industry stakeholders to drive the presidential directive.
Shea nuts, harvested from the shea tree native to West Africa’s savannah belt, are prized globally for their oil-rich kernels, which are processed into shea butter. Widely used in cosmetics, soaps, food products, and pharmaceuticals, the commodity has long been one of Nigeria’s underexploited economic treasures.
Though popularly called a “nut,” shea is botanically distinct from tree nuts and is generally not linked to allergic reactions. The federal government’s new policy is aimed at ending the bulk export of raw materials and encouraging domestic industries to refine, process, and export finished shea-based products, creating jobs and maximizing revenue within Nigeria.
