An exhibitor sells shea butter at the Shea 2026 conference in Accra, Ghana, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

ACCRA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Global Shea Alliance (GSA), comprising industry players in the production and trading of shea nuts, shea butter, and other shea products, opened its annual conference, "Shea 2026," in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, with a focus on value addition for higher economic benefits from shea products.

Ghanaian Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang said during the opening that African countries stand to make better economic gains, transitioning from exporting raw shea nuts to exporting value-added shea products.

Opoku-Agyemang highlighted that there are hundreds of thousands of Ghanaian women, particularly in the northern parts of the country, engaged in shea activities, with shea trees as part of everyday life, providing food and income and contributing to exports.

"Global demand for shea continues to expand as the food, confectionery, and cosmetics industries increase their use of shea derivatives," the vice president noted.

Ghana's economic reset agenda and the 24-hour economic policy, according to Opoku-Agyemang, seek to unlock productivity by supporting continuous production, processing, and trade across key sectors, including the shea industry.

She urged other African shea-producing countries to design and implement policies that would make their countries exporters of finished and semi-finished shea products instead of raw nut exporters.

John Owan Enoh, minister of state for industry at Nigeria's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, disclosed that Nigeria has seen a significant increase in domestic shea processing since the government placed a moratorium on the export of raw nuts.

Enoh said this development has led to a recovery and strengthening of farm-gate prices, expansion of industrial capacity, growth in investment in the export of processed shea products, and rising interest from global offtakers in local processing partnerships.

Marion Etyang Busingye, interim chairperson for the Nilotica Shea Alliance in Uganda, emphasized that shea is not simply a product to trade. "It is part of a living ecosystem of communities, landscapes, and opportunities. Working together ensures that we encourage, recognize, protect, and share its value for generations to come."

Established in 2011, GSA designs, develops, and delivers strategies that drive a competitive and sustainable shea industry worldwide to improve the livelihoods of rural African women and their communities that depend on the shea industry, thereby contributing to the overall health of the ecosystem and ensuring that the benefits of the shea industry are recognized and shared among all stakeholders. ■

An exhibitor poses for photos with raw shea butter products at an exhibition stand during the Shea 2026 conference in Accra, Ghana, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

An exhibitor displays the shea nut fruit at the Shea 2026 conference in Accra, Ghana, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

Photo taken on April 28, 2026 shows shea nuts at the Shea 2026 conference in Accra, Ghana. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

Dancers pose for photos with raw shea butter products at an exhibition stand during the Shea 2026 conference in Accra, Ghana, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

An exhibitor displays shea products at the Shea 2026 conference in Accra, Ghana, April 28, 2026. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)