President Bola Tinubu has approved a one-year extension of the ban on the export of raw shea nuts, moving the deadline 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 boosting industrial development, promoting domestic value addition, and advancing the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Tinubu stated that the policy is designed to deepen local processing capacity, improve livelihoods in shea-producing communities, and strengthen Nigeria’s export base through value-added products rather than raw materials.
To ensure effective implementation, the President authorised the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Presidential Food Security Coordination Unit (PFSCU) to coordinate a unified, evidence-based national framework. The framework is expected to align industrialisation, trade, and investment priorities across the shea nut value chain.
The President also approved the adoption of an export framework developed by the Nigerian Commodity Exchange(NCX) and ordered the withdrawal of all existing waivers that permitted the direct export of raw shea nuts.
Under the new directive, any excess supply of raw shea nuts must be exported strictly through the NCX framework and in line with approved guidelines.
Tinubu further directed the Federal Ministry of Finance to provide access to a dedicated NESS Support Window. This will enable the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to pilot a Livelihood Finance Mechanism aimed at strengthening production and processing capacity within the sector.
Shea nuts, harvested from the shea tree commonly found in Nigeria’s Savanna belt, serve as the primary raw material for shea butter. The butter is widely used in cosmetics for skin and hair care due to its moisturising, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, and is also used in edible cooking oil production.