Ghana is positioning the shea industry as a cornerstone of its 24-Hour Economy policy, with ambitions to transform the sector into a $640 million export powerhouse, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor has announced.

Speaking at the Grand Opening of the World Shea Expo 2025 at the Modern City Hotel in Tamale, Dr. Otokunor, who serves as Director for Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness at the Office of the President, underscored the sector’s strategic importance to Ghana’s economic recovery and industrialisation agenda.

“This year’s Expo is guided by a forward-looking and deeply relevant theme: ‘Empowering Women and Youth-Led SMEs in the Shea Value Chain: The Role of Government and Financial Institutions.’ Women and youth are not bystanders in the shea industry – they are its backbone,” he told the gathering.

Currently, Ghana produces between 130,000 and 150,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts annually, worth about $118 million.

However, with investment in modern processing facilities, mechanised harvesting, cold storage, and all-season logistics, Dr. Otokunor said production could triple to 400,000MT annually, generating $640 million in value.

As part of this drive, he announced the revival of the Buipe Shea Processing Factory, established in 2012 under former President John Dramani Mahama but left dormant for years.

“Through the leadership of H.E. President Mahama, it has been revived, and the plant is ready to be powered later this week,” he revealed.

The refurbished factory has a processing capacity of 60,000MT annually, with potential to reach 180,000MT under 24-hour operations.

It is expected to create 300–1,000 direct jobs and over 10,000 indirect jobs across five regions.

With more than one million women and youth already engaged in the value chain, Dr. Otokunor emphasised that the Expo was not just an exhibition but a platform for “unlocking opportunities and correcting systemic barriers” such as limited access to finance and weak infrastructure.

As part of the government’s support measures, 20,000 sets of PPEs were distributed to women cooperatives and collectors across the northern regions.

The gesture, supported by GEPA, EXIM Bank, and the Office of the President, was presented on behalf of President Mahama by Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo.

In addition, Ghana will soon introduce national enforceable standards for shea kernels and butter, developed in partnership with the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), GEPA, and the Ghana Standards Authority.

These standards aim to position Ghanaian shea products competitively in European, North American, and Asian markets.

Earlier, dignitaries toured Nuts 4 Growth Ltd, a modern woman-led processing facility in Tamale South with a capacity of 300MT per day and an annual production target of 90,000MT.

Dr. Otokunor hailed it as “another shea success story,” urging the private sector and development partners to scale up investments in the industry.

The three-day Expo is expected to attract over 8,000 participants, including international buyers, exporters, and development agencies.

Organisers project that it could generate more than $10 million in export opportunities, 150+ business partnerships, and support for over 200 SMEs and youth-led enterprises.

Dr. Otokunor reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the shea sector, stressing that President Mahama views it as a “strategic national priority.”

“The World Shea Expo 2025 is not just a celebration – it is a platform for transformation,” he said. “It reflects a government serious about industrialisation, rural development, and climate-smart agriculture.”