President Bola Tinubu has ordered a temporary ban on the export of raw shea nuts, with immediate effect. The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, made this known at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports Vice-President Kashim Shettima is, at the moment, presiding over an implementation meeting with critical stakeholders on the Presidential directive.
The policy is expected to generate at least $300 million annually in the short term and create a pathway for a tenfold increase by 2027.
Shettima stressed that the ban is not an anti-trade measure but a “pro-value addition policy” designed to secure raw materials for local processors, boost rural incomes, create jobs, and position Nigeria as a major global supplier of refined shea butter, oil, and other derivatives.