Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The National Association of Shea Products of Nigeria (NASPAN), the umbrella body for actors in the shea value chain in Nigeria, has urged the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to ensure effective policing of all borders, to avoid further perpetration of illegal trading.
While applauding the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration for the temporary ban, NASPAN noted that to achieve the desired impact, ensuring alignment with national goals and advancing the interest of actors across the value chain, certain critical success factors needed to be taken.
Briefing journalists in Abuja, Friday, NASPAN President, Mohammed Ahmed Kontagora stated that the Nigerian Customs Service s(NCS) should ensure effective policing of all borders, to avoid further perpetration of illegal trading.
NASPAN, he explained was profoundly appreciative of President Tinubu, and the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, for their timely intervention in placing an immediate ban on the export of shea nut/kernel from Nigeria.
“This policy is not only strategic but also critical in repositioning Nigeria as the global leader in shea competitiveness.
“Though announced suddenly during the peak of seasonal transactions in shea nut harvest, processing, and trading, the ban is a welcome decision that NASPAN fully supports.
” It represents a paradigm shift in the regulation of shea resources, with the official integration of a critical economic product of wide domestic benefit and high export value.
“The grounds of the ban—including boosting local processing capacity, curbing informal trade, job creation, rural economic transformation, sustainability for women pickers, and resource optimisation—are valid and justifiable, with tremendous potential for national economic growth,” he said.
According to him, apart from the informed reasons already well articulated by the federal government, there are immediate impact of the temporary export ban.
“The announcement can stem local price volatility as actors in the value chain review emerging realities to explore ways in which the policy enhances mutually beneficial trade relationships. Integrating shea into the Nigerian Commodity Exchange platform will also foster price stability, transparency and fair returns to farmers, women pickers, and processors.
“The policy signifies government’s readiness to formalize shea trading and curtail informal trading, with huge economic losses arising from undocumented cross-border trading, smuggling, and black-market practices.
“The new policy direction presents the opportunity to assess the capacity of local processors to establish the gap between their requirements, shortfalls or excesses that could be considered for export,” he said.
Kotangora who spoke alongside other officials of the association, noted that to ensure a coordinated oversight, there was an urgent need for the creation of a shea marketing board to regulate shea trading, particularly the prescription of minimum and maximum guaranteed price at the beginning of each trading season.
He also stated thst a shea sector grant should be introduced to support existing and verified processors in expanding their offtake capacity from aggregators. “Development support should also include equipment grants, incentives, and capacity-building programmes to strengthen local processing and competitiveness,” he added

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