Overview

• The prohibition takes effect immediately for six months and will be reviewed at the end of the period, according to Vice President Kashim Shettima.
• Authorities project roughly $300 million in near‑term earnings and cite ambitions reported to rise toward about $3 billion by 2027 if value‑added exports scale.
• A government assessment found about 90,000 metric tonnes lost annually to informal cross‑border trade with domestic processors running at only 35%–50% of 160,000‑tonne capacity.
• Nigeria’s move follows recent restrictions on raw shea exports in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo and Ivory Coast.
• Officials say talks are underway to secure market access for Nigerian shea products in Brazil within three months, while analysts caution that enforcement and new investment will determine outcomes.