The Paramount Queenmother of the Sing Traditional Area and Ambassador for the Shea Park Resource Hub Project, Pognaa Salma Chaana Abdul-Razak, has completed a sensitisation and stakeholder engagement tour across all 11 districts of the Upper West Region to promote shea tree conservation and support women in the shea value chain.

The five-day tour, held from May 17 to May 21, 2026, was organised by Green Gold Savannah, the implementing partner for the Ambassador’s project team, to build grassroots support for the Shea Park Resource Hub Project.

The initiative focused on educating communities on the importance of protecting shea trees and other economically valuable plant species while encouraging the enforcement of local bylaws against indiscriminate tree felling, particularly for charcoal production.

During the tour, the delegation visited 17 communities and engaged more than 2,000 women shea pickers, alongside traditional authorities, opinion leaders and other key stakeholders.

A major component of the engagement was community dialogue sessions, where women discussed challenges affecting the shea sector and proposed practical alternatives to charcoal production, which has been identified as a major driver of shea tree destruction in the region.

The women expressed their commitment to protecting the shea ecosystem but emphasised that conservation efforts must be accompanied by sustainable economic opportunities.

Among the interventions proposed were the construction of small irrigation dams to support year-round farming, vocational training in areas such as soap making, weaving and hairdressing, and the provision of modern shea butter processing equipment.

The communities also appealed for tricycles to improve transportation of harvested shea nuts, protective equipment to reduce risks during harvesting, and better access to reliable markets for processed shea products.

They further called for affordable financing options, including low-interest loans, to help women expand their businesses and reduce reliance on activities that threaten the shea ecosystem.

Project coordinators described the engagement as an important step towards building community ownership of the Shea Park Resource Hub Project and strengthening collaboration among traditional leaders, local communities and development partners.

Traditional authorities and women’s groups expressed appreciation to the Speaker of Parliament and the President of Ghana for supporting the establishment of the project, describing it as a transformative initiative capable of creating sustainable livelihoods while protecting a key natural resource in northern Ghana.

The project team said feedback and recommendations gathered during the tour will guide the next phase of implementation to ensure community priorities remain central to the project’s rollout.

The Shea Park Resource Hub Project is expected to enhance environmental protection, promote sustainable livelihoods and strengthen Ghana’s shea value chain through community-led interventions and strategic partnerships.