Ghana Vice President opens World Shea Expo 2026 in Tamale

Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has officially opened the World Shea Expo 2026 in Tamale, Ghana. The three-day event focuses on the theme, “From Local Commodity to Global Brand: Accelerating Women and Youth-led Value Addition in Shea.”

The expo aims to transition the industry from exporting raw nuts to domestic processing and branding. Currently, Ghana produces between 130,000 and 150,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts annually, a sector valued at approximately $350 million. However, much of the harvest is exported in its raw state, which limits the economic benefits for the rural women and youth who perform the primary labor.

Organizers expect the event's business-to-business linkages and investment forums to generate export opportunities worth nearly $10 million. The expo is attended by approximately 7,000 participants, including women’s cooperatives, international buyers, financial institutions, and researchers. The event is organized by the Office of the Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness in partnership with several agencies, including the Ghana Export Promotion Authority and the Ghana EXIM Bank.