The Ministry of Food and Agriculture signed an agreement with AAK Ghana Ltd. to back a $90 million investment aimed at expanding local processing and value addition in the country’s shea industry, as the government pushes to turn key agricultural commodities into higher-value industrial exports.
The memorandum of understanding was signed in Accra by Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku and AAK West Africa Vice President and Head Lasse Skaksen. The deal includes plans for a shea processing factory in Ghana that will use advanced processing technology and is expected to create more than 100 direct jobs.
“Ghana has the potential to become a global reference point for value-added shea processing,” Skaksen said. “This partnership reflects our confidence in Ghana’s shea sector and our commitment to investing in local capacity and inclusive economic growth.”
AAK, a global supplier of plant-based oils and fats, said the investment will focus on shifting Ghana’s shea sector from a raw commodity model toward a more industrial value chain, supported by expanded sourcing, skills training and logistics infrastructure.
A key element is the expansion of AAK’s Kolo Nafaso direct sourcing programme, which is expected to support more than 300,000 women shea collectors in northern Ghana through financing and guaranteed markets. The company also plans to establish an Innovation Academy to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises and improve youth employability in the plant-based oils and fats sector.
The agreement includes investments in warehousing, logistics and supply-chain infrastructure to improve export competitiveness, and a sustainability component focused on shea reforestation and parkland preservation in collaboration with the Tree Crops Development Authority.
The signing was witnessed by Denmark’s ambassador to Ghana, Jakob Linulf, and attended by Deputy Food and Agriculture Minister John Dumelo, MoFA Chief Director Paul Siameh, and Tree Crops Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Andy Osei Okrah.
MoFA said the partnership aligns with Ghana’s Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda and its Feed the Industry programme, which aims to link agricultural production more directly to domestic processing and manufacturing.
