Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called for a major industrial transformation aimed at empowering women and expanding Ghana’s value-added production sector, as she officially commissioned the SHEA 2026 Conference.
The conference, which received support from the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat, brought together stakeholders in the shea industry to discuss growth, sustainability, and opportunities within the sector.
Addressing participants, the Vice President praised the remarkable growth of the Global Shea Alliance since its establishment in 2011 under the leadership of former President John Dramani Mahama. She noted that the Alliance has expanded from an initial membership of 48 to a network of more than 900 participants across Africa.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang described the shea industry as one of the most important economic lifelines for women, particularly in Ghana’s northern regions, where shea production supports thousands of households and local economies.
“In Ghana, hundreds of thousands of women are involved in shea production, especially in the northern regions, where shea trees play a central role in daily life by providing both food and income,” she stated.
She explained that government policy is now focused on moving the country away from dependence on raw material exports toward value-added manufacturing under the government’s Reset Agenda.
According to her, the strategy is intended to strengthen local industries, create sustainable jobs, and enhance Ghana’s economic independence.
Touching on the proposed 24-hour economy policy, the Vice President said the initiative would help increase productivity, improve efficiency in resource use, and create more employment opportunities across different sectors of the economy.
She also highlighted growing international demand for shea products, particularly within the confectionery and cosmetics industries, describing it as a major opportunity for Ghanaian businesses.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang urged local enterprises to invest in innovation and scale up production to remain competitive in the expanding global market.
Environmental sustainability, she stressed, must remain central to the development of the shea industry. She called for the protection of shea parklands and proper management of savanna zones to preserve soil fertility and improve climate resilience.
She further emphasised the importance of ensuring that small-scale producers and rural women receive fair benefits from the industry’s growth.
The Vice President expressed optimism that discussions at the conference would produce practical solutions to challenges affecting agriculture and industrial development while promoting inclusive growth.
She also underscored the importance of collaboration among African countries, noting that partnerships involving 21 nations would help strengthen West Africa’s position as a leading producer of high-quality shea products.
