Vice President Opens SHEA 2026 Conference, Calls for Value Addition in Ghana’s Shea Industry

Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has officially opened the SHEA 2026 Conference, hosted by the Global Shea Alliance with support from the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat.

The Alliance, inaugurated in 2011 under former President John Dramani Mahama, has over the past 15 years grown into a key platform for collaboration, driving progress in the shea industry across Africa. This year’s conference has brought together participants from 21 African countries, alongside major development partners.

Delivering her keynote address, the Vice President underscored the urgent need for Ghana and the wider African continent to move beyond the export of raw shea materials and embrace value-added production. She explained that this shift aligns with the government’s Reset Agenda, which seeks to accelerate industrialisation and economic transformation.

She noted that Ghana’s shea sector remains a vital source of livelihood for hundreds of thousands of women, whose efforts sustain households and contribute significantly to the national economy. With global demand for shea-based products continuing to rise, she stressed the importance of positioning Ghana to capture greater value through processing, innovation, and expanded market access.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang also highlighted the role of the government’s 24-hour economy policy in boosting productivity, creating jobs, and strengthening value chains within the shea sector. She further emphasised the need for environmental sustainability, including the protection of shea parklands, improved soil fertility, and sustained support for farmers across the savannah ecological zones.

While commending the progress made in the industry, she called for a forward-looking and inclusive approach to ensure that the benefits of growth are equitably shared—particularly among the women who form the backbone of the shea value chain.

The Vice President expressed confidence that deliberations at SHEA 2026 will produce practical solutions and foster stronger partnerships to drive the next phase of growth, contributing to Ghana’s economic transformation and Africa’s broader development agenda.