The Global Shea Alliance (GSA), the non-profit industry association with a mission to promote sustainability, quality practices and standards for shea in food and cosmetics, has launched its annual conference, Shea 2024.

The event will be held on 5th-7th March 2024 at the NAF Conference Centre and Suites in Abuja Nigeria.

This year’s theme ‘Bridging the Gap’ is centred on closing the divide between the visionary goals of the shea industry and the urgent need for practical action.

As the shea sector experiences significant growth, we are committed to addressing and overcoming the challenges that limit market expansion, supply stability, resource management, climate adaptation, financing, women's economic empowerment and more.

“Over 10 years ago the GSA began with a set of structures built to advance women in the industry and we have come a long way by improving our processes with input from shea beneficiaries,” said Mamatou Djaffo, President of the GSA.

“At Shea 2024 we will be targeting discussion on parkland management, resource conservation, women's economic empowerment, youth involvement, digitalisation strategies and effective trade policies to further unearth potential in the Shea value chain.

The conference will bring together key stakeholders from across the shea industry to:

Identify Barriers
Examine the challenges and barriers that hinder the industry's progress toward
sustainability, including insufficient investment, new market opportunities, weak policy
frameworks and social inequalities.

Share Success Stories
Showcase examples of initiatives and projects that have successfully bridged the gap
between the industry's vision and present reality, emphasising lessons learned and best
practices.

Promote Collaboration
Foster partnerships among governments, NGOs, businesses and local communities to
align efforts and resources towards a common goal of sustainability.

The three-day event is expected to attract over 500 participants and will feature presentations from
industry professionals on the above themes.

Special features
The conference will feature special events to expand the knowledge and network of Shea
stakeholders:
● B2B Networking: One-to-one discussions with exporters, producers, financial service
providers, shipping companies, equipment suppliers, international brands and retailers
● Shea Expo: The Expo will offer SMEs the opportunity to present their products and
demonstrate the benefits of shea to more than 400 participants.
● SME training: Training sessions to stay informed about the latest advancements in
legislation, packaging, processing, export documentation, cosmetic formulation, marketing,
labelling and shea oil production.
● Innovation Corner: Delegates will engage in hands-on sessions focused on topics such as
organic fertilizer formulation, briquette making, efficient charcoal production and tailor-made
soap making.