Nigeria produces an estimated 350,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts annually across 30 states, accounting for nearly 40% of the world’s supply. Yet, the country captures less than 1% of the $6.5 billion global shea market, largely due to exporting unprocessed nuts and losing over 90,000 tonnes yearly to informal cross-border trade. This ban, effective immediately, aims to change that by securing raw materials for local processors, who currently operate at just 35 to 50% capacity despite a national potential of 160,000 tonnes.
