The 18th Annual Shea Industry Conference opened in Accra on Tuesday, bringing together policymakers, industry players and development partners from across the sub-region. The meeting was convened to promote sustainable growth and collaboration within the shea sector. Opening the conference, Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang highlighted the strategic importance of the shea industry to the economies of Ghana and Nigeria, citing its contribution to export earnings, job creation and the livelihoods of rural communities, particularly women. On the sidelines of the conference, a delegation from Nigeria, led by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, held discussions with President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House. The meeting focused on strengthening the shea value chain, enhancing value addition, boosting processing capacity and promoting intra-African trade to maximize benefits under regional integration frameworks. Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Mr Sampson Ahi, represented the Minister, Madam Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, while key institutions such as the Ghana Export-Import Bank (GEXIM) and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) were also represented at the talks. The discussions emphasised improved financing, expanded market access and targeted support for rural women engaged in shea processing, with both countries reaffirming their commitment to closer cooperation for the growth of the shea industry and broader economic development. Source: GNA