The recent export ban on raw shea nuts by the administration of President Bola Tinubu has sparked sharp divisions among players in Nigeria’s non-oil export sector, with shea butter producers and exporters expressing conflicting views on the policy’s impact more than a month after its implementation.
Announced in September 2025, the Federal Government’s directive aims to encourage local value addition by halting the export of raw shea nuts, sesame seeds, and other unprocessed commodities.
The policy, the government said, is part of efforts to boost domestic processing, create jobs, and strengthen the country’s industrial base.
However, opinions remain divided among key stakeholders in the shea industry.
Mr. Ademola Adebare, CEO of WhiteStep Empire, a firm specializing in the production and export of shea butter, believes the ban is a positive step toward deepening local value addition.
“I’m an exporter of shea butter and a stakeholder in the Nigerian Shea Butter Association,” Adebare said. “Nigeria has not been exporting shea nuts for long. It was only when Ghana made shea nuts one of their major export products that Nigeria became motivated to enter the same market, exporting to countries like Germany.”
He explained that while the ban might affect rural women who depend on shea nut picking, it presents long-term benefits for the local processing industry.
“In most cases, the ban is not going to affect the [shea butter] exporters but the women in rural areas. Still, it’s a good thing that Nigeria banned the export of raw shea nuts because most people who deal with shea butter still use handcrafted methods. Another advantage is that we can now build larger factories—like one proposed in Katangora—that can produce over 500 tons of shea butter weekly,” he said.
Adebare added that the ban could help stabilize the value chain and make local production more profitable.
“Shea nut is one of the leading non-oil products that attracts government interest. We’ve had many European buyers, especially from Germany, paying high prices for the nuts due to limited processing capacity in Nigeria. They extract the oil abroad, which is used in place of cocoa butter in the food industry,” he explained.
He further noted that exporting raw shea nuts had previously created artificial scarcity in Nigeria, forcing local processors to import the same product back at higher prices.
“When exporters ship out raw nuts, it creates scarcity. Then, when we need them for processing, we have to import them back. That’s why shea butter became so expensive. Back then, when prices were high, women pickers earned more. For example, I used to pay about N10,000 per bucket for local production. Now, because of the surplus caused by the ban, I pay around N3,000 to N3,500,” Adebare said.
He argued that while the women’s immediate income has dropped, the long-term effect of the ban will help reduce production costs and improve profitability for local processors.
“The ban helped drop the price of shea butter, which is a plus for us exporters. Our only major competitors are the Ghanaians, but Nigeria has a logistics advantage since transportation costs are lower here. When the nut was expensive, my selling price was high, but profits were low. Now, with reduced nut prices, I make more profit,” he added.
He also criticized some exporters who oppose the policy, saying, “Many of them don’t understand the value chain. They are short-term players who just want quick money without investing in processing or sustainability.”
Despite Adebare’s optimism, many shea nut exporters told Naijaonpoint that the ban has crippled their businesses. Several declined to speak on record, saying they feared government backlash.
Despite Adebare’s optimism, many shea nut exporters told Naijaonpoint that the ban has crippled their businesses. Several declined to speak on record, saying they feared government backlash.
One shea nut exporter, who requested anonymity, lamented: “I’ve invested close to $200,000, and now everything is gone. The ban came too suddenly. We were not given time to adjust or redirect our operations.”
While policymakers and exporters debate the economic implications, rural women—who form the backbone of Nigeria’s shea value chain—say they are suffering the most.
“We used to sell a bag for between N15,000 and N20,000 to merchants who ship them abroad,” said Aisha Mohammed, a 45-year-old picker from Kwara State. “But since the ban, no one wants to buy. Our shea nuts are wasting, and our children are hungry.”
For others, the loss is more personal. Airatu, a 40-year-old shea nut processor, said her daily income dropped from N5,000 to about N1,500 since the ban took effect.
Another picker, 50-year-old Fatima Ojomu, said her family’s welfare has deteriorated.
“I can barely feed my five children now. Before, traders would come every week to buy from us. Now, no one comes,” she lamented.
A policy document obtained by Naijaonpoint further explains the rationale behind the presidential decision.
According to the document, the ban becomes necessary because Nigeria has become increasingly vulnerable due to regional trade dynamics.
While Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana, and Togo have already banned the export of raw shea nuts to strengthen their domestic processing industries, Nigeria remains the only country in the sub-region still allowing such exports.
The document stated further, “There is an opportunity to boost the shea value chain to generate around $300million annually in the short term if the recommended ban is enforced appropriately and efficiently.”
President Tinubu, in September, approved a 6-month ban on the export of raw shea nut to curb informal trade, boost local processing, protect and grow Nigeria’s shea industry.
President Tinubu said, “Nigeria’s shea is our green wealth. We produce nearly 40% of the world’s supply, yet capture less than 1% of its $6.5bn global market. That imbalance ends now. I have approved a six-month suspension of raw shea exports, on the recommendation of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit, to secure supply for local processors, create jobs, and protect a value chain where 95% of pickers are women.
“With new market access opening in Brazil and beyond, we will no longer export poverty and import value. We will create value at home, compete abroad, and deliver prosperity under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Tinubu said.
The ban also targets a tenfold increase in export revenue by 2027, with 99% of the value projected to come from refined shea products.