The University for Development Studies, UDS, through the West Africa Center for Shea Innovation and Research, WACSIR, played host to the launch of the 2024 World Shea Expo at the Multipurpose Auditorium on the Tamale Campus of the University.

The World Shea Expo aims at maximizing prospects in the Shea industry through intensified collaboration with players in the Shea business.

The event was organised by the Savannah Golden Tree Limited and support¬ed by a coalition of stakeholders including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Tree Crop Development Authority, West Africa Center for Shea Innovation and Research of the University for Development Studies (UDS) among other partners. It was under the under the theme ‘Nurturing Growth, Empowering Communi¬ties.’

The Shea Expo, aims to raise awareness about the lucrative international market for shea, bolster foreign exchange earnings, generate employment, and foster prosperity, especially for the women at the industry’s core. It brought together various actors in the Shea value chain including women Shea pickers, farmers, processors, aggregators, and researchers among other associations and financial institutions. 

The Pro Vice-Chancellor of UDS, Prof. Elliot Haruna Alhassan, who chaired the function, said the World Shea Expo is a groundbreaking event which has the capacity to create a platform to showcase innovation, collaboration and networking among actors in the Shea value chain. He was optimistic that the Expo would promote and highlight the contribution of Shea as the main source of income to many rural women in the Savannah Ecological Zone, while creating market linkages to boost the production and processing of the commodity.

The Board Director of the Ghana Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) Mr. Adams Tampuri, said it was to foster inclusive economic growth and enhance livelihoods through sustainable industry development as well as promote gender equality, community resilience and preserve cultural heritage with emphasis on social inclusion within the Shea value chain.  He said the 2024 World Shea Expo would prioritise environmental stewardship with the commitment to advance conservation, climate resilience and ecosystem sustainability to protect Shea tree resources and biodiversity. Mr Tampuri added that selected products from the Expo would be showcased in North America through the Canada Africa Trade and Innovation Expo 2024 in Ontario, Canada on September 5 and 6, 2024, bolstered by the esteemed support of the World Super Foods Expo.

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, said the 2024 She Expo is an indication of the commitment of government and other stakeholders towards advancing the Shea industry. He encouraged participants to engage and exchange ideas and knowledge in order to delve into potential avenues for expansion. The Minister called on actors in the Shea value chain to commit to conservation efforts and responsible harvesting practices to ensure the sustainability of the Shea industry.

“We need to commit to con¬servation efforts and responsible harvesting practices to ensure the sustainability of this resources in order not to lose our shea trees to be fell and burnt down,” he stated.

He said it was imperative that they prioritise “sustainable methodologies” to guarantee the longevity of the Shea industry for upcoming generations.

In a speech read on her behalf by the former MCE for Sagnarigu in Tamale, Hajia Mariam Iddrisu, the Wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Samira Bawumia, said the Shea industry had provided income and employment opportunities for thousands of women and other young people. She said the Expo would go a long way to transform the lives and livelihoods of countless women and youth engaged in the Shea industry.

“The impact of this Expo reach¬es far beyond economic benefits; it symbolises community empow¬erment, sustainable development, and the preservation of our rich cultural heritage,” she stated.

Mrs. Bawumia also said the shea industry in Ghana had a rich history dating back to 1973 when the Ghana Cocoa Board first took charge of Sheanut and sheabutter marketing. This, according to her, rec¬ognising the vast potential for private sector involvement, the liberalisation of marketing had allowed private enterprises to flourish.

She added that the industry had over the decade witnessed an impressive export volume of over 70,000 tons annually and valued more than $112.6 million. “Despite challenges such as the depletion of Shea tree popula¬tions, the global demand for shea butter continues to surge, driven by its diverse applications in cos¬metics, pharmaceuticals, and the food industry,” she noted.

The West Africa Center for Shea Innovation and Research of the University for Development Studies WACSIR-UDS, which has the mandate is to conduct evidence-based Shea innovation and policy improvement research, and create a network and platform for broader interactions among agricultural researchers and policymakers, among others, is well poised to take advantage of the 2024 Shea Expo to promote and support sustainable innovations in the Shea sector through evidence-based research and policy advocacy in order to improve the livelihoods of all stakeholders.

Speaking to the UDS media after the launch, the Director of the West African Center for Shea Innovation and Research, Prof Abukari Alhassan said the center has over the past year undertaken numerous activities in the area of Shea research and policy advocacy. Recently, WACSIR-UDS in collaboration with Kings College London and the Global Shea Alliance launched an Innovative Partnership to Develop An Innovative Shea Parkland Carbon and Biodiversity Credit, Accreditation, Monitoring and Management Platform to support smallholder farmers in Ghana. The project is a grant from Innovate UK on African Agricultural Knowledge Transfer Partnership (AAKTP).

Also present at the event were the Registrar, Mr. Nurudeen Issah Abubakar, the Finance Director, Dr. Mohammed Hardi Shaibu, the Principal of the Nyankpala Campus, Prof. Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu, the Director of the West Africa Center for Shea Innovation and Research, Prof. Abukari Alhassan, as well as other Deans and Directors of UDS.

Story by: Hajara Adam
(UDS Media)