The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has announced plans to begin partial mapping of shea nut trees across 19 northern states, as well as Oyo and Kwara states, in support of the federal government’s temporary ban on raw shea nut exports.
The six-month ban, recently approved, is designed to curb informal trade, encourage local processing, and protect Nigeria’s shea industry from further underdevelopment.
According to the council, the mapping exercise will estimate the number of shea trees in each state, assess their quality, and provide data to strengthen value chain development. The information is expected to guide investors and processors in making informed decisions about entering the shea industry, which remains one of Nigeria’s most promising non-oil export sectors.
RMRDC described the ban as a long-awaited step toward value addition, noting that Nigeria has millions of shea trees, with some states recording yields of up to one million metric tonnes. The council stressed that prioritising local processing over raw exports would not only expand the industry but also position Nigeria as a global hub for shea-based products.
To drive this transition, the council plans to launch a national women’s cluster cooperative that will provide training on safety and best practices in shea nut collection and processing. Processing equipment will also be deployed at cluster levels to ensure smallholder operators, particularly women in rural areas, can actively participate in the industry.
The council highlighted concerns that shea trees are increasingly threatened by deforestation linked to the demand for charcoal and traditional household items. Strengthening protection and processing, it noted, is critical to preserving the species while turning the resource into an engine of economic prosperity.
A five-year roadmap for the shea value chain has also been developed, outlining strategies to increase local processing, support plantation development, upgrade processing technologies, and establish monitoring mechanisms that will provide updates directly to the presidency.
With these measures, RMRDC expressed confidence that Nigeria can create jobs, generate foreign exchange, and ensure that the country stops “exporting poverty” by selling raw materials cheaply and instead begins “exporting prosperity” through finished products.
