How ban on exportation of shea nuts fit affect businesses as Nigeria be highest producer for di world

Former state secretary for di National Shea Products Association of Nigeria (Naspan) and communication officer for Centre for Shea Research for Fut Minna say govment decision to ban di exportation of di produce for six months get positive and negative impact.

Professor Mohammed Ibrahim, wey follow BBC News Pidgin tok, say di ban fit affect investors wey don put moni inside di business.

Nigeria govment bin announce six-month ban on di export of raw shea nuts to allow di kontri move from exporter of di raw nuts to global supplier of refined shea products.

Govment say di dey produce 40% of di shear nuts wey di whole world dey use, but Nigeria dey collect less dan 1% from di $6.5 billion wey di global shear nut business dey generate evri year.

How e fit affect Naspan

Professor Ibrahim say from govment side, di move make sense becos e go bring beta moni if dem stop to dey export am raw.

"Based on wetin I read, di reason for di ban be say na to help rural economy, give farmers beta income, and improve dia earnings."

Professor Ibrahim say di cost of one ton of shear nut from one firm now dey between $800,000 to $900,000, but shear one tonne of butter dey sell for $3.5 to $4 million

E add say, "If dem use di nuts do big products, e go bring more moni dan just selling di raw nuts. I believe na wetin federal govment dey look."

E also tok about how big di industry be for Nigeria.

"We dey export thousands tons of shear nut, one ton of shear nuts wey dey cost around $800,000 to $900,000 evri year. For 2024, Nigeria export 368,414 metric tonnes of shear nuts."

"E go affect our business for short term, but for long term, we fit benefit," e add

Right now as gvoment don ban export, Prof Ibrahim tok say dia biggest market dey Europe, even though dem dey sell to oda African kontris too.

"Nigeria na number one for shear nuts production. We dey get raw materials, carry am go Ghana, package am, den sell to international market. Our biggest buyers na UK and USA."

E also mention say Niger State for northern Nigeria na di top producer of shear nuts, followed by Kwara and Oyo states. Mostly na women dey gada and process di nuts locally.

Nigeria na di biggest producer of shear nuts for West Africa, wit kontris like Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Togo wey don already ban export of raw shear nuts.

Which kontri dey export di highest shea nuts

According to to data from di Food and Agriculture Organisation, 2023, Nigeria na di highest producer of shea nut for di world.

Mali na second followed by Burkina Faso, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo.

See di health benefits of shea nuts for here.