President John Mahama has launched the Sheapark Resource Hub Project in Wa, the Upper West Regional capital, as part of government’s efforts to strengthen the shea industry in northern Ghana through value addition.

The initiative is being driven by Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin and Professor Kwame Addo.

The launch, held at the forecourt of the Wa Naa’s Palace, was chaired by Wa Naa Alhaji Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo VI.

President Mahama said the project represents a deliberate policy choice under the government’s Reset Agenda to promote region-led development and ensure that no part of the country is left behind.

He noted that the Upper West Sheapark Resource Hub reflects the broader transformation agenda aligned with the Reset Agenda, the Big Push, and the 24-Hour Economy Initiative.

He described the shea sector as a strategic pillar of Ghana’s rural economy, especially within the northern savannah belt.

He said shea trees are part of the cultural and ecological heritage of northern communities and that women, who have long sustained households through shea picking and processing, remain at the lowest end of the value chain despite Ghana’s prominent role in global shea production.

President Mahama said the Sheapark Resource Hub marks a shift from raw extraction to value addition, and from subsistence to agro-industrial production. The Hub is envisioned as a world-class, phased agro-industrial ecosystem built on sustainability, innovation, and inclusion.

The facility will house modern shea-processing units for cosmetics, food, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceutical products.

It will also include quality control laboratories, training and capacity-building centres, logistics and warehousing facilities, market access platforms, solar energy solutions, water treatment and recycling plants, business incubation hubs, cooperative aggregation services, and export facilitation systems.

At full operational capacity, the Hub is expected to empower more than 7,000 women and create additional employment opportunities for thousands of young people in the Upper West Region.

It will also anchor value chains for related crops, including groundnuts, soya beans, sorghum, dawadawa, cotton, and honey.

President Mahama said the project aligns with government’s commitment to add value to Ghana’s natural resources before export, covering shea, cashew, cotton, cassava, oil palm and even mineral products.

He commended the Wa Naa for declaring that the felling of shea trees should be criminalised and enforced by assemblies and security agencies.

He also urged persons engaged in charcoal production to avoid cutting down shea trees.

The President said the Sheapark Resource Hub is grounded in climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land use, renewable energy, recycling systems and responsible environmental stewardship.

To support women in the sector, he announced the distribution of 3,000 pairs of Wellington boots and 3,200 gloves to enhance their safety during shea nut picking, noting the risks of snake and scorpion bites.

He also disclosed plans to establish a Women’s Bank to provide financial assistance to women in the shea industry.