FG engages stakeholders, promises to review shea butter ban

The federal government has assured shea nut stakeholders it will review the export ban, citing concerns over its impact on local producers, exporters and foreign exchange earnings.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, gave the assurance at a Stakeholders’ Validation Session on Raw Shea Nut Ban in Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.

The federal government announced a six-month temporary ban on the export of raw shea nuts on August 26, 2025.

The ban was implemented to boost local processing, encourage value addition and prevent the export of raw materials, aimed at turning Nigeria from a raw material supplier to a global hub for refined Shea products. Ms Oduwole said that the ministry would brief President Bola Tinubu objectively after consultations with stakeholders across Nigeria’s shea value chain.

She said that the objective assessment would guide a decision on whether the ban on shea nut exports should be extended immediately or deferred.

She said that the government recognises the right of citizens to earn a living and contribute to national development, adding that all inputs would be carefully reviewed and consolidated.

“The ministry will provide the president with factual and balanced information to guide further action,’’ she said.

Ms Oduwole said that the ministry engaged widely with stakeholders to ensure perspectives were considered in the ongoing policy deliberations.

She said the ministry received formal submissions from the umbrella association and held engagement sessions attended by various industry representatives. She said the submissions were reproduced and circulated at the meeting to promote transparency and shared understanding.

According to her, the ministry opted to present stakeholders’ views directly to allow participants to hear the positions submitted. The minister further explained that relevant departments within the ministry worked jointly on the matter and were adequately represented.

She said she personally reviewed the submissions internally to assess the ministry’s position ahead of broader consultations. Ms Oduwole said the diversity of participants reflected the ministry’s commitment to inclusive decision-making, adding that participants were given the opportunity to express their views freely.

She noted that the engagement was designed to bring together large and small processors, exporters, aggregators and rural women. The Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, said policy decisions should prioritise the availability of raw materials for local processing.

He said the ministry’s mandate aligns with the president’s development agenda, particularly in strengthening domestic industrial capacity He pointed out that available data showed progress in processing capacity since earlier policy measures were introduced.

Mr Enoh said that policy consistency was important to sustain investor confidence and support industrial growth. The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said that the meeting aimed to review the recent ban objectively, stressing the need for verified facts and transparency.

Mr Kyari noted that government decisions were made to protect jobs and encourage local value addition, adding that policies should be assessed holistically based on evidence and measurable impact.

He, therefore, urged stakeholders to collaborate effectively and provide factual input to guide future decisions in the best interest of the country.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Nura Rimi, said that in pursuance of the mandate, the ministry carried out structured consultations with key public and private sector stakeholders in the sector.

He said that the engagements allowed the ministry to gather evidence-based market intelligence, evaluate on-the-ground operational conditions and formulate a draft institutional position grounded in industry data and formal stakeholder inputs.

Mr Rimi was represented by the director of reform coordination and service improvement, Mohammed Abbas. NAN