The second edition of the World Shea Expo has ended in Tamale with a renewed call on stakeholders to harness opportunities in the shea value chain to empower women and youth-led enterprises.
The three-day event was held on the theme: “Empowering Women and Youth-led SMEs in the Shea Value Chain: The Role of Government and Financial Institutions.”
It was organized under the auspices of the Office of the President through the Presidential Initiative on Agriculture and Agribusiness in partnership with the Savannah Golden Tree Limited, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Northern Development Authority, EXIM Bank, Tree Crop Development Authority, and Cocobod, among others.
Participants included women cooperatives, youth-led businesses, processors, exporters, financial institutions, traditional and religious leaders, as well as members of the media.
The Expo featured exhibitions, panel discussions, investment forums, policy dialogues, training workshops, and field visits aimed at unlocking new opportunities in the shea industry.
Madam Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, Deputy Chief of Staff, described the initiative as timely, noting that it amplified the voices of women, who she referred to as “the unsung heroines of the shea industry.”
She said the Expo was not only positioning Ghana and Africa as leading producers of raw shea nuts but also as hubs for processing, innovation, and value addition in the global market.
Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor, Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, said even though about one million women and young people were involved in the shea value chain, many were excluded from meaningful economic benefits due to limited access to finance, weak infrastructure, and inadequate policy support.
He announced that government was revamping the Buipe Shea Processing Factory, which, when operational, would have the capacity to process more than 60,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts annually, with the potential to peak at 180,000 metric tonnes under 24-hour operations.
“The factory will create between 300 and 1,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs, while providing an anchor for a network of smallholder cooperatives across Northern Ghana,” he said.
Mr Ali Adolf John, Northern Regional Minister, highlighted the cultural, economic, and environmental importance of the shea tree, stressing the historic role of women in nut collection and processing.
He called for collaborative efforts to address challenges facing the sector, including limited access to finance, modern technology, and formal markets.
He further gave assurance that government, under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, remained committed to creating enabling environment for women and youth-led enterprises through supportive policies, regulatory reforms, and equitable access to resources.
Source: Access Agric
