RMRDC DG Hails Shea Nuts Ban, Insists Raw Materials Should Not Be Exported Without 30% Value Addition

*Initiates mechanisms to ensure ban achieves intended goals

James Emejo in Abuja

The Director General/Chief Executive, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, had hailed the federal government’s recent six-month ban on shea nuts export.
President Bola Tinubu approved a temporary ban on the export of raw shea nuts to curb informal trade, boost local processing, protect and grow the country’s shea industry.
The ban, is however, subject to review on expiration and specifically aimed at boosting the shea value chain to generate about $300 million annually in the short term.
However, speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Ike-Muonso, reaffirmed the council’s commitment to play its statutory role to support the actualisation of the objectives of the ban.
He noted that since his assumption of office, he had been advocating that raw materials should not be exported without adding at least 30 per cent value to them.
He said the council also submitted a bill on the proposed policy to the National Assembly – which had passed third reading in the Senate, as well as gone through first reading in the House of Representatives.
The RMRDC chief executive said the federal government’s ban on shea nut exports was a “stamp on the goal we have been pursuing, because it is in the overall interest of the country”.
He said one of the immediate impacts of the federal government’s ban was Niger State’s offer of 10,000 hectares of land for shea plantations, adding that once developed, the country could become the world’s largest producer of shea nuts and derivatives.
He said, “Every Nigerian knows that instead of exporting volumes of raw materials, we should be exporting semi-processed or fully processed materials. That is what creates employment, strengthens our currency, and boosts our economy.
“When the federal government came up with this six-month suspension, we saw it as a test period. The question was: if it doesn’t succeed in the first six months, what happens?
“For us at RMRDC, this is a challenge. This conference is to reassure Nigerians that, working together with the presidency, we will make this succeed and succeed properly.”
He stated that from RMRDC’s earlier studies, about one million metric tonnes of shea nuts are available from 21 states of the federation though existing data suggest about 350,000 tonnes.
He said over 90 per cent of the shea nut output is exported raw.
According to him, the export restrictions of raw shea nut was “not just a ban—it is a clarion call for Nigeria to stop exporting poverty and start exporting prosperity.”
He stressed that the council stands ready to drive the process, leveraging its statutory mandate, technical expertise, nationwide presence, and partnerships.
He said, “We are present in all 36 states, and all our coordinating offices are mobilised to ensure this decision achieves its objectives.
“We invite all stakeholders to align with this vision so that within the six-month suspension window, Nigeria will emerge not as a supplier of raw shea, but as a global hub for shea value addition.”
Ike-Muonso, said, “The global demand for shea is very high, yet we have been throwing away opportunities by exporting raw shea nuts instead of adding value. This means losing potential foreign exchange and local jobs.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), in preparation for this event, we visited Salid Agriculture Nigeria Limited – the new shea nut refinery located in Kudu, Mokwa Local Government Area, Niger State.
“That is currently the biggest shea processing plant in Nigeria. Another one is coming up in Kwara, alongside smaller-scale processors, though their quality may not match the fully automated refinery.
“The new facility has a production capacity of about 30 metric tonnes per day.
But the question is: how will one plant alone handle Nigeria’s entire shea nut output? That is why we must act strategically.”
The RMRDC boss also noted that the shea nuts ban didnt happen in a vacuum, stressing that the council had provided a groundwork to safeguard the sector.
He said, “The presidency would not have simply woken up to make this pronouncement. There is groundwork, and RMRDC has played a critical role.”
He explained that the council had in 2019 published the strategic roadmap for the shea industry which was adequately contained in the publication titled, “Strategies for Transforming the Nigerian Shea Value”, a copy which was presented to THISDAY.
The book, developed in collaboration with stakeholders, presented a five-year roadmap for the transformation of the entire shea value chain.
Among other initiatives, he said the council worked to upgrade indigenous technologies for shea processing, particularly for women cooperatives.
According to him, RMRDC also had extensive capabilities in machine and technology development for raw material processing – help local women upgrade technologies for shea processing.
He said, “Going forward, we plan to intensify production of such technologies across the 21 shea-producing states.”
He also revealed the council’s next line of action in the next six months.
The RMRDC boss said it will lead stakeholders to review the expired five-year roadmap to ensure adequate supply for processors.
The council will also conduct a nationwide mapping of shea trees—quantities, qualities, and varieties—since shea from Kwara differs from that in Sokoto, each with unique advantages.
He said the mapping will guide investors, noting that preparations are underway with researchers and enumerators across the 21 producing states.
He also stated that the council will launch women’s cooperatives nationwide to improve collection and small-scale processing, to further ensure quality, safety, and access to finance through cooperative structures.
Ike-Muonso, also said it would work with government and agencies to deploy processing equipment at cluster levels, enabling smallholder operators to participate in the industry as well as support for shea plantations.
He said, “Beyond Niger’s 10,000 hectares, we will encourage other states to allocate land for shea plantations.
“We have developed a system to provide regular updates on capacity utilisation, jobs created, and foreign exchange saved, in order to encourage further supportive policies.
“Together, let us turn this bold decision into lasting transformation for our people, our economy, and our nation.”