Nigeria’s recent six-month ban on raw shea nut exports has received strong support from key industry players, who say the move could transform the country’s shea sector into a global hub for value addition.

The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) and the National Association of Shea Products of Nigeria (NASPAN) have both hailed President Bola Tinubu’s decision, describing it as a step that will curb informal trade, create jobs, and boost foreign exchange earnings through local processing.

Prof. Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, Director General of RMRDC, called the export ban “a stamp on the goal we have been pursuing, because it is in the overall interest of the country.” He stressed that exporting raw shea nuts has long deprived Nigeria of economic benefits, arguing that value addition is the only way to “stop exporting poverty and start exporting prosperity.”

He revealed that Niger State has already committed 10,000 hectares of land for shea plantations in response to the ban, a move that could make Nigeria the world’s largest producer of shea nuts and derivatives. RMRDC, he added, is ready to lead the sector’s transformation by providing technical support, deploying improved processing equipment, and promoting women’s cooperatives across 21 shea-producing states.

The council also plans to conduct a nationwide mapping of shea resources, support new plantations, and strengthen local processing capacity—highlighting that Nigeria produces about one million metric tonnes of shea annually, but over 90% is currently exported raw.

Similarly, NASPAN welcomed the government’s decision, noting that while the ban came during peak trading season, it represents a “paradigm shift” for the industry. Mohammed Ahmed Kontagora, NASPAN’s president, said the ban will help stabilise prices, formalise trade, and ensure fair returns for farmers, women pickers, and processors.

NASPAN urged the federal government to:

Establish a Shea Marketing Board to regulate trading and set price benchmarks.

Provide grants, equipment support, and incentives to local processors.

Pass into law the proposed National Council on Shea to guide policy and governance.

Integrate shea into national climate programs, given Nigeria’s advantage of hosting about 58% of the world’s shea trees.

The association also highlighted its Shea Parkland Restoration and Afforestation Programme (SPARE), which aims to plant 10 million shea trees over the next decade. They called on the government to adopt the initiative to boost sustainability, climate resilience, and long-term sectoral growth.

With global demand for shea on the rise, both RMRDC and NASPAN believe this ban, if well implemented, will help Nigeria transition from being a major supplier of raw nuts to becoming the world’s leading hub for shea processing and exports.