Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Nigeria announced a six-month ban on the export of raw shea nuts in order to make trade of the nuts more lucrative and boost local production of shea butter.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the export ban on Tuesday, as Vice President Kashim Shettima told a meeting of shareholders that the move would "transform Nigeria from an exporter of raw shea nut to a global supplier of refined shea butter, oil and other derivatives."
''It is about industrialization, rural transformation, gender empowerment and expanding Nigeria's global trade footprint," Shettima said.
The shea nuts are used to make many beauty creams as they are harvested from trees to be crushed, roasted, boiled to extract its oil to produce the butter for cosmetics. The butter is also used in the production of certain sweets.
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