Nigeria banned shea butter exports to help women profit. But it backfired

Nigeria's Shea Butter Ban: Good Intentions, Devastating Consequences for Women

Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian government’s ambitious plan to bolster domestic shea butter production and empower its female harvesters has, ironically, left many of these women in a worse financial predicament. A ban on raw shea nut exports, implemented with the noble aim of fostering local processing and increasing value addition, has instead choked off vital income streams, exposing the complexities of economic policy and its real-world impact on vulnerable communities.

The policy, introduced in late 2023, was designed to redirect the lucrative shea nut trade towards Nigerian processors. The idea was simple: by preventing the export of unprocessed nuts, Nigeria would force international buyers to purchase finished shea butter, thereby creating jobs and higher profits within the country. For the millions of women, predominantly in the northern and southern belts, who dedicate their lives to collecting and processing shea nuts, this was presented as a pathway to greater economic independence.

However, the reality on the ground paints a starkly different picture. Instead of a surge in domestic processing capacity, the ban has led to a glut of raw shea nuts, with nowhere to go. Local processors, it turns out, were not equipped to absorb the sheer volume of nuts that were previously exported. Many lack the necessary machinery, capital, or even the established international market connections to handle the increased supply.

“We were told this would be good for us,” laments Aminata Ibrahim, a shea nut collector from Kaduna State, her voice tinged with despair. “They said we would sell to our own people, and make more money. But now, the nuts are just sitting here. Nobody is buying them in the quantity they used to. And the prices they offer locally are so low, it’s not worth the effort.”

This sentiment is echoed across countless communities. The women who painstakingly gather shea nuts from the wild, a process that involves trekking long distances and often manual labor, are now facing dwindling returns. The international market, accustomed to receiving raw shea nuts for processing in their own countries, has largely turned away, unwilling or unable to navigate the new trade restrictions or invest in the nascent Nigerian processing industry. This has created a surplus of raw nuts, driving down prices to levels that barely cover the cost of collection, let alone provide a sustainable livelihood.

The ripple effect is significant. With reduced income, many women are struggling to afford basic necessities, send their children to school, or invest in improved farming techniques. The very empowerment the ban was meant to foster has been replaced by a sense of vulnerability and economic insecurity.

The Unforeseen Consequences of Protectionism

Experts have pointed to a lack of adequate preparation and infrastructure as the primary culprits behind the ban’s failure. “Protectionist policies, while often well-intentioned, require a robust domestic industry to support them,” explains Dr. Olumide Adeyemi, an agricultural economist at the University of Ibadan. “In Nigeria’s case, the processing sector for shea butter was not sufficiently developed to absorb the volume of raw material that was previously exported. The government perhaps underestimated the scale of investment and time needed to build that capacity.”

The ban essentially created a bottleneck. Without sufficient local processing power, the raw material, which was once a valuable export commodity, has become a burden. This is a classic case of a policy that looked good on paper but failed to account for the intricate realities of global trade and local capacity.

International buyers are also hesitant. For decades, they have established supply chains based on receiving raw shea nuts. Shifting to purchasing processed shea butter from Nigeria requires a significant overhaul of their own operations, and many are unwilling to take on that risk without guaranteed quality and consistent supply from a still-developing local industry.

“We are caught in the middle,” says Fatima Hassan, a community leader in Kano State. “The international buyers are not coming. Our local buyers are offering peanuts. What are we supposed to do? We rely on this. It’s our heritage, our livelihood.”

A Call for Re-evaluation and Support

The current situation is a clear indication that the ban needs a serious re-evaluation. While the goal of adding value domestically remains crucial, the method employed has proven detrimental. There is a growing consensus among stakeholders that a more phased approach, coupled with substantial investment in processing infrastructure and training, would have been a more effective strategy.

“We need the government to listen to us,” pleads Aisha Bello, a mother of four whose income has been halved. “We are not against processing in Nigeria. We want that. But we need a way to survive while that happens. We need immediate relief, and a clear plan that actually helps us, not hurts us.”

The story of Nigeria’s shea butter ban is a cautionary tale. It highlights the importance of thorough market analysis, robust infrastructure development, and inclusive policy-making that considers the immediate needs of the people most affected. The women of Nigeria, who are the backbone of the shea butter industry, deserve policies that truly empower them, rather than policies that, however well-intentioned, lead to unintended and devastating consequences. The question now is whether the government will heed the calls for a change in course before the damage becomes irreversible.