The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has unveiled measures to drive Nigeria’s shea industry, after the federal government imposed a six-month suspension on raw shea nut exports to spur local processing.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Director-General Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso said the council was stepping in to play its statutory role to ensure the success of the policy.
“The reason we are here is to tell you how the RMRDC is stepping in to play its statutory role regarding the federal government ban on the export of shea nuts, and why it is necessary, and how we intend to support the actualisation of that goal,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu, on 26 August, announced the temporary suspension of the export of shea nuts. The ban, which is with immediate effect, is subject to review on expiration and specifically aimed at boosting Nigeria’s shea value chain to generate around $300 million annually in the short term.
Mr Ike-Muonso explained that since assuming office he had championed a policy that raw materials should not be exported without at least 30 per cent value addition, a proposal that had advanced at the National Assembly.
He described the ban as a presidential endorsement of this drive, noting that “instead of talking volumes of exported raw materials, we should be talking about the value of exported semi-processed raw materials, or even fully processed raw materials, because in that employment is created, even our currency gets strengthened.”
Nigeria produces more than one million metric tonnes of shea nuts annually across 21 states, yet over 90 per cent is exported raw despite strong international demand.
To prepare for a shift to value-added processing, RMRDC said it has been engaging processors.
Its officials recently visited Salid Agriculture Nigeria Limited at Kudu, in Mokwa Local Council of Niger state, the largest shea processing facility in Nigeria with a daily capacity of about 30 metric tonnes. Other facilities are emerging, though industry capacity remains limited.
Women empowerment
A major part of the council’s strategy is centred on women, who dominate nut collection and small-scale processing.
Mr Ike-Muonso said RMRDC had supported women’s associations, particularly in Kwara State, with upgraded indigenous technologies.
The council also plans to launch national women cluster cooperatives to train rural women in nut collection, safety, and quality processing. The clusters, designed to operate as cooperatives, would help women qualify for financing and access modern equipment.
“The biggest problem is in collection,” the DG noted. “Women need to be trained on safety, on how to pick the best quality shea nuts, and also on some processing. Even for smallholder processors, the quality needs to improve. This capacity building is what we are going to launch across the country simultaneously.”
Beyond women’s empowerment, RMRDC will review the expired five-year shea industry roadmap developed in 2019, conduct a nationwide mapping of shea trees to capture varieties and quantities, and rally state governments to commit land for plantations.
Niger State has already pledged 10,000 hectares for new plantations, while RMRDC is seeking similar commitments from other states.
The council has also worked with financial institutions, including Nexim Bank, which funded the Salid refinery. He said further collaboration is planned to roll out cluster-level processing equipment nationwide.
Mr Ike-Muonso said the ultimate aim was to reposition Nigeria as a hub for processed shea exports, used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food globally.
“The federal government’s suspension of shea nut export is not merely a ban. It is a clearer call for Nigeria to stop exporting poverty and start exporting prosperity,” he said.
Although Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of shea nuts, it ranks outside the top seven in processed exports, losing billions of dollars in potential revenue.
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With structured clusters, modern plants, and trained women-led cooperatives, the country could save foreign exchange, create jobs, and strengthen rural economies.
Mr Ike-Muonso said RMRDC would provide the presidency with regular updates on jobs created, foreign exchange saved, and capacity utilisation during the six-month trial period, which may determine whether the export ban becomes permanent.