Raw Materials Council Backs Raw Shea Nut Export Ban

The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has powerfully supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s suspension of earthy shea seed exports, describing the determination arsenic a strategical turning constituent successful Nigeria’s industrialisation drive.

Speaking astatine a property league successful Abuja, the Council’s manager general, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, said the six-month suspension would reposition the state arsenic a planetary hub for shea processing and worth addition.

He noted that Nigeria produces implicit 350,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts annually, yet much than 90 per cent is exported raw, costing the federation an estimated $200 cardinal yearly successful mislaid value. This is not a punishment but an accidental to reorganise, retool, and afloat instrumentality vantage of our presumption arsenic the world’s largest producer, helium said.

Prof. Ike-Muonso disclosed that the Council volition coordinate implementation of the suspension by moving with applicable ministries, agencies, fiscal institutions and processors to fortify exertion adoption, grow processing capableness and empower agrarian women who signifier the backbone of the worth chain.

As portion of these efforts, the DG led a delegation to SALID Agriculture Limited successful Niger State, Nigeria’s largest shea seed refinery with a processing capableness of 30 metric tonnes per day. The facility, helium said, demonstrates that Nigerian-owned companies tin vie globally successful shea food production.

The managing manager of SALID Agriculture, Alhaji Ali Saidu, applauded the national government’s decision, stressing that the suspension volition assistance operation the manufacture for sustainability and pull caller investments. He besides highlighted the relation of women, noting that much than 15,000 women crossed 19 states presently proviso nuts to the company.

The RMRDC brag commended the Niger State Government’s allocation of 10 hectares for caller shea plantations, describing it arsenic a semipermanent concern susceptible of generating thousands of jobs. He assured that the Council would proceed to backmost backstage assemblage initiatives similar SALID’s done method and argumentation support.

The prohibition is simply a telephone to halt exporting poorness and commencement exporting prosperity, Prof. Ike-Muonso said. With coordinated action, Nigeria volition not lone predominate shea seed accumulation but besides assertion planetary enactment successful shea worth addition.