… Seeks 90-day window for traders

By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

The National Association of Shea Products of Nigeria (NASPAN) has commended the Federal Government for its recent decision to place a temporary ban on the exportation of raw shea nuts, describing the move as a strategic step toward repositioning Nigeria as a global leader in the shea industry.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, NASPAN President, Mohammed Ahmed Kontagora, said although the policy was announced suddenly at the peak of the trading season, it remained a welcome development that would strengthen local processing, curb informal trade, boost job creation, and promote rural economic growth.

Kontagora clarified that the ban applies only to the exportation of shea nuts or kernels, not shea butter, stressing that substantial value addition occurs when kernels are processed into butter.

He expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for what he called a “timely intervention” to protect the sector. According to him, the measure would help stabilize local prices, formalize trading, and provide an opportunity to assess the capacity of local processors.

The NASPAN president also urged government to take further steps, including the establishment of a Shea Marketing Board, provision of grants and equipment support for processors, passage of the National Council on Shea Bill, and integration of shea trees into climate management programs.

He highlighted the association’s Shea Parkland Restoration and Afforestation Programme (SPARE), which aims to plant 10 million shea trees across Nigeria over the next decade.

Kontagora, however, appealed for a 90-day grace period for aggregators who had already acquired large stocks of shea nuts worth billions of naira prior to the announcement, to enable them meet existing contractual obligations under regulated conditions.

He also called for an immediate stakeholder meeting with government to harmonize details of the policy, suggesting that the forthcoming NASPAN Biennial Shea Conference in February 2026 serve as a review point for the temporary ban.

Kontagora emphasized that proper engagement would ensure that both producers and processors remain motivated to contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth, rather than discouraged by sudden policy shifts.