‎Hajia Rabiatu calls for local shea testing facilities, warns against raw nut exports

By: Godbless Asaana‎
‎The President of the Ghana Shea Employers Association in the Northern Region and Chief Executive Officer of Maltiti A. Enterprise Limited, Hajia Rabiatu Abukari, has called on the government to establish local facilities for organic shea testing and certification to reduce costs and improve the competitiveness of Ghanaian businesses.
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‎She made the appeal in an interview with the Daily Graphic, where she highlighted the challenges confronting the shea industry, particularly the dependence on foreign laboratories for testing samples before organic certification can be granted.
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‎According to her, the practice increases operational costs and delays business activities, despite Ghana being a major producer of shea nuts and butter.
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‎”Before organic shea is certified, samples have to be flown outside the country for testing. This increases costs for businesses and delays the certification process. We produce the nuts and process the butter here, so it is only proper that we develop the capacity to test and certify our products locally,” she said.
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‎Hajia Abukari urged the government, the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) to invest in the necessary infrastructure, equipment and technical expertise to establish an effective local testing and certification system.
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‎She explained that local testing facilities would reduce certification costs, shorten waiting periods and strengthen confidence in Ghana’s quality assurance systems, particularly as international demand for certified organic shea products continues to grow.
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‎The products are widely used in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and personal care industries across Europe, North America and parts of Asia.
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‎Beyond certification challenges, Hajia Abukari expressed concern over the increasing export of raw shea nuts, warning that the practice is depriving local processors of the raw materials needed to sustain their businesses.
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‎She said many foreign buyers purchase large quantities of shea nuts and transport them abroad for processing, leaving Ghanaian enterprises, particularly women-led businesses, struggling to obtain adequate supplies.
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‎”We are not against foreigners buying Ghanaian products. In fact, we want them to buy the shea butter produced by local processors,” she stated.
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‎”The challenge is that many come for the nuts, export them and process them elsewhere. If this continues, local processors will gradually be pushed out of business,” she added.
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‎She called for policies that would encourage local value addition by promoting the export of processed shea butter and other finished products instead of raw nuts.
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‎According to her, expanding domestic processing would create employment opportunities, especially for women and young people, while ensuring that Ghana retains a greater share of the economic benefits generated by the shea industry.
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‎Hajia Abukari further noted that women processors in shea-producing communities across northern Ghana were increasingly finding it difficult to secure raw materials as exporters purchased available stocks in bulk.
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‎She said the situation had forced many community-based processors to compete for limited supplies at higher prices, threatening their businesses and livelihoods.
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‎She stressed that ensuring a reliable supply of raw shea nuts for local processors would strengthen rural economies and support thousands of women who depend on the industry for their income.
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‎Ghana’s shea sector provides livelihoods for women across the Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East and Upper West regions, where the collection, processing and sale of shea products remain important economic activities.
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‎The shea industry leader also raised concerns about the destruction of shea trees through charcoal production, indiscriminate felling and annual bushfires, warning that the practices could threaten the long-term sustainability of the industry.
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‎She explained that shea trees are valuable indigenous economic resources that contribute to household incomes, food security and environmental conservation.
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‎However, because the trees take several years to mature and produce fruits, she warned that continued destruction could have lasting consequences for communities that depend on shea production.
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‎Hajia Abukari called on the Tree Crops Development Authority, the Forestry Commission, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, and traditional authorities to intensify efforts to protect existing shea trees and prevent illegal felling.
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‎She also advocated increased investment in tree regeneration programmes, public education and community-led conservation initiatives to preserve shea parklands for future generations.
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‎”The shea industry contributes significantly to household incomes and Ghana’s export earnings. Protecting the trees, supporting women processors and strengthening local value addition should be a national priority,” she stressed.
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‎She maintained that strengthening local testing and certification, ensuring access to raw materials, promoting domestic processing and protecting shea trees were essential to building a more competitive and sustainable shea industry in Ghana.