President Bola Tinubu extends Nigeria’s ban on exporting raw shea nuts to February 25, 2027. The presidency issued the extension in an official statement on February 26, 2026, signed by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga.
The ban applies to the export of unprocessed raw shea nuts, a restriction first introduced in August 2025 as a temporary six-month measure and now prolonged for a full year.
Nairametrics The federal government frames the extension as part of broader industrial policy under the Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at shifting Nigeria away from the export of primary agricultural commodities toward higher-value products with greater export earnings, particularly processed shea products like shea butter.
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Processed shea commands significantly higher international prices than raw nuts, and the administration says this policy will deepen local processing capacity and create jobs in producing communities.
To enforce the extended ban, all existing waivers that previously permitted direct export of raw shea nuts have been withdrawn, and any surplus nuts may be exported only through an export framework set up by the Nigerian Commodity Exchange (NCX) under approved guidelines.
The president has tasked the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Presidential Food Security Coordination Unit with coordinating a unified, evidence-based national development framework for the shea value chain.
The Federal Ministry of Finance has been directed to open a dedicated NESS Support Window to support a Livelihood Finance Mechanism that aims to strengthen production and processing capacity in the sector.
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Federal officials argue the policy will support inclusive economic growth, local manufacturing, and Nigeria’s competitiveness in global agricultural value chains.
The extension has drawn mixed reactions: proponents see potential gains from value addition and higher export earnings, while critics warn that Nigeria’s current processing capacity is limited and that the ban could depress incomes for farmers and exporters who cannot sell raw nuts or access processors at scale.
Source :Nairametrics
