President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s announcement of a six-month suspension of raw shea nut exports marks a decisive policy shift in Nigeria’s agricultural industrialisation strategy. The measure is intended to strengthen local processing capacity, secure livelihoods for women who dominate the shea picking workforce and increase Nigeria’s capture of the $6.5 billion global shea market.

While the government’s objectives are clear, the policy’s pronouncement raises concerns. The ban was imposed abruptly, without a transition period or compensation mechanism for exporters with existing contracts.