Tamale is set to become the heartbeat of the global shea industry as Ghana prepares to host the World Shea Expo 2025 from September 2–4 at the Modern City Hotel.
The event is expected to attract shea producers, international buyers, investors, policymakers, and development partners, shining a spotlight on Ghana’s potential to transform its shea sector into a global powerhouse.
At the center of this year’s expo is the Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), which is spearheading efforts to support grassroots producers, especially women-led cooperatives and youth entrepreneurs who dominate the shea value chain.
Through strategic partnerships, training programs, mentorship sessions, and business clinics, GEA is helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) move beyond the export of raw shea nuts to producing refined, branded products that meet international quality standards.
“Supporting industry value addition is about more than technology; it is about positioning Ghanaian shea as a premium, trusted product in the global market,” GEA said.
Ghana currently exports over 70,000 tonnes of shea annually, but most of it leaves the country in raw form, with overseas processors capturing the bulk of profits.
The expo aims to change this narrative by equipping producers with modern processing equipment, quality certification, packaging innovations, and branding strategies.
Workshops and mentorship sessions at the expo will provide participants with hands-on training in shea processing, global market access, and financial management.
Youth participants, in particular, will benefit from a blend of entrepreneurial coaching and agro-industrial knowledge to position them as drivers of growth and innovation.
GEA says it’s also working to strengthen market access for local producers by linking them directly with international buyers, distributors, and investors.
By fostering these connections, Ghana’s shea products can achieve greater visibility in the US$2 billion global shea industry, while ensuring that more of the value chain is retained locally.
Importantly, the expo also serves as a policy platform, bringing together government agencies, private sector stakeholders, and international partners to shape strategies for sustainable growth.
This includes aligning grassroots producers with national initiatives such as the Presidential Initiatives on Agriculture and Agribusiness (PIAA) and financing opportunities through the Ghana EXIM Bank.
Women and youth, who make up nearly 90% of the shea workforce, remain at the heart of the sector. By creating pathways for them to access funding, technology, and global markets, GEA hopes to ensure that the benefits of the shea industry ripple through rural communities in Northern, Upper East, and Upper West regions.
