Tinubu Orders Temporary Ban on Export of Raw Shea Nuts

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an immediate temporary ban on the export of raw shea nuts to boost Nigeria’s domestic processing industry.

The directive, announced on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, was reported by Arise News in a post on X. The move is aimed at curbing the depletion of local raw materials and addressing concerns over the marginalization of women-led small-scale processors.

Nigeria is one of the world’s leading producers of shea nuts, contributing more than 50 percent of global supply, according to Punch. Key production hubs include Niger and Kwara states.

The ban comes amid wider concerns in the West African shea industry, valued at about $600 million. A 2025 appeal by the Ghana Shea Employers Association, reported by the Business & Financial Times, warned that foreign buyers have increasingly exported raw nuts, leaving local processors at a disadvantage.