The National Association of Shea Products of Nigeria (NASPAN) has commended the federal government’s recent ban on the exportation of raw shea nuts, describing the policy as strategic and critical for the development of Nigeria’s shea industry.
The association’s president, Mohammed Kontagora, made the remarks at a news conference in Abuja on Friday.
The federal government, on August 26, imposed a six-month temporary ban on the export of raw shea nuts to encourage domestic processing, create jobs, add value to the product, and generate both short-term and long-term economic benefits. Kontagora stated that the policy would significantly reposition Nigeria as a global leader in shea competitiveness.
“Though announced suddenly during the peak of seasonal transactions in shea nut harvest, processing, and trading, the ban is a welcome decision that NASPAN fully supports,” Kontagora said. He described the ban as a paradigm shift in the regulation of shea resources, integrating a critical economic product with wide domestic benefits and high export potential.
He highlighted that the objectives of the ban—including boosting local processing capacity, curbing informal trade, promoting job creation, supporting rural economic transformation, ensuring sustainability for women pickers, and optimising resources—are valid and justifiable. Kontagora added that the measure would help stabilize local prices, allowing stakeholders in the shea value chain to adjust and explore mutually beneficial trade opportunities.
Furthermore, integrating shea trading into the Nigerian Commodity Exchange platform is expected to promote price stability, transparency, and fair returns for farmers, women pickers, and processors. Kontagora emphasized that the policy reflects the federal government’s commitment to formalizing shea trade and reducing informal practices that result in economic losses.
