This September, Tamale, the capital of the Northern Region, will host an international gathering set to transform one of West Africa’s most culturally significant and economically promising industries, the shea butter.

From 2–4 September 2025, more than 8,000 participants are expected to attend the World Shea Expo 2025 — an event that blends trade fair, policy summit, and cultural showcase.

Under the theme “Empowering Women and Youth-Led SMEs: The Role of Government and Financial Institutions,” the Expo will bring together actors across the shea value chain, from rural nut collectors to executives of global brands.

Known locally in the Northern enclave as karité or “women’s gold,” shea sustains over one million women across northern Ghana. The global shea market is estimated at more than US$2 billion, yet most Ghanaian producers earn only a fraction of this wealth, as the country largely exports raw nuts.

In 2023, Ghana exported more than 70,000 tonnes of shea worth US$112.6 million, but processed products fetch up to ten times the value of raw nuts.

Government’s vision for shea

The government has identified shea as a strategic economic resource capable of driving rural industrialisation, job creation, and export diversification.

President John Dramani Mahama’s administration has pledged to end the dominance of raw exports by strengthening local processing, branding, and value addition.

Central to this vision is the revival of the Buipe Shea Factory, earmarked to become one of West Africa’s largest processing hubs. The initiative aligns with the government’s flagship 24-hour economy policy, designed to ensure continuous production and trade.

Officials argue that round-the-clock processing will not only increase efficiency but also create sustainable employment, particularly for women and young people in the north.

Financing the transformation

Delivering on this ambition requires robust financing, with the Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM) expected to play a pivotal role. Mandated to boost trade competitiveness, GEXIM is positioned to provide credit facilities, guarantees, import financing, and co-investment partnerships for the shea industry.

The bank’s gender-responsive approach will be crucial, as women account for 90 per cent of the shea workforce. Tailored credit schemes, training in entrepreneurship, and financing for certification processes are among the interventions anticipated to help Ghanaian producers capture a larger share of international markets.

A defining moment

As anticipation builds ahead of the September gathering, stakeholders view the Expo as more than just an industry fair. It is seen as a turning point — an opportunity to reposition Ghana from a supplier of raw shea to a global hub for high-value, ethically sourced, and environmentally sustainable products.

For many, the Expo’s promise lies in inclusive growth: elevating women and youth from subsistence work to entrepreneurship, building rural processing industries, and linking Ghanaian brands directly with global markets.

If realised, the World Shea Expo 2025 will mark the beginning of a new chapter for Ghana’s shea sector — one where prosperity flows back to the communities that have sustained the trade for generations.