Some women at Kulkpong, a community in the Wa East District, have expressed the hope of gaining improved economic fortunes through a shea project being implemented by the Ghana Chamber of Shea.

The Chamber is piloting the shea project in the Kulkpong community to train women on improved processing of the commodity and link them to the market as an alternative source of livelihood and income for the women.

Madam Awsatu Musah, who participated in the training at the weekend, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that she burnt charcoal to sell to earn a living because she had no other alternative livelihood, particularly in the dry off-season.

She expressed the hope that she would produce quality shea butter to gain some income through which she would take care of her children.

“I have seen that what they taught us today is different from how I used to do it and I hope that at the end of the training, I will be able to produce good shea butter and to get good market,” she said.

Madam Mufida Marzoni, another participant, said though many women in that community picked shea nuts, they were not able to process them and expressed optimism that the training would enable them to process the shea rather than selling the nuts.

“If we form the cooperative, and with the training and the support that we will get from the project, we can process the shea nuts in bulk and sell. With that, we can earn a decent livelihood. The training will help us a lot,” she explained.

Mr Sumaila Chakura, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Shea, told the GNA that the project aimed to empower rural women to use shea as a tool to elevate their economic status.

It would help to form women cooperatives in the project communities, empower them with the skills and knowledge to produce good quality shea butter and link them to markets.

The Chamber would also seek support from donors to support the cooperatives with equipment for shea picking and processing for the women to add value to increase their profits instead of just picking and selling the nuts, Mr Chakura said.

“It is through value addition that they can actually make more money, and their economic status can improve,” he added.

As the Chamber sought to provide a market for the women to sell the shea products, it would ensure that those buying had value for their money, he said.

The project also sought to create a shea plantation in the communities its success would discourage the women from felling shea trees to burn charcoal. 

He encouraged the women to see shea processing as a business and not just an activity for survival.

Mr Abdul Hamid Adams, the CEO of Tondar Ventures, a shea butter processing company in the region, took the women through the safety measures and best practices for shea kennel picking and processing.

He encouraged the women to add value to the shea butter such as the production of soap and body cream, which could fetch them more money.

Ms Portia Dumba, the Founder of Pordu Care Enterprise, a producer of shea butter cream, taught the participants how to form and manage cooperatives.

She said working in cooperatives would help improve their businesses, enhance their bargaining power and networking for their personal and community development.

The “Empowering Rural Women through Quality Shea Processing” project is being implemented by the Ghana Chamber of Shea in partnership with NoniHub, Tondar Ventures, Inspired Legacy, Pordu Care and Nelias Foods.

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has commended the Ghana-European Union (EU) Partnership Dialogue for consistently serving as an invaluable forum for nurturing mutual understanding and fostering cooperation and partnership between Ghana and the EU.

He said the Dialogue presented an opportunity to bring Ghana and the EU closer, by strengthening economic cooperation and promoting sustainable development, peace, security, democracy, prosperity, and solidarity.

Dr Bawumia said this on Monday in his opening remarks at the opening of the 2024 Ghana-EU Partnership Dialogue Meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in Accra.

The Annual Dialogue was held within the framework of the cooperation between Ghana and the EU, based on the Lome Convention.

The Accra Meeting was co-chaired by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Mr Irchad Razaaly, the EU Ambassador to Ghana.

Vice President Dr Bawumia said with a history of collaboration dating back to the signing of the first financial protocol, the Lome 1 Convention, between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) members in 1975, the framework had provided a comprehensive, balanced and deep political dialogue and enhanced cooperation guided by the fundamental principles of ownership and joint responsibility, respect for human rights, good governance, democratic principles and the rule of law.

He said they were convening when the world was facing unprecedented challenges.

“From the ongoing threats in the Sahel region, to the myriads of global issues that demand our attention, we find ourselves navigating through an era of considerable adversity,” Vice President Dr Bawumia stated.

“Thankfully, we have the steadfast support and solidarity demonstrated by the European Union towards Ghana and the wider region, which is indeed, commendable.”

He said building upon the remarkable achievements of last year’s session, the 2024 Dialogue marked yet another important milestone in the enduring partnership between Ghana and the EU, and presented not only an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations but also a platform for addressing pressing challenges and advancing shared objectives.

At the heart of the Dialogue lies four thematic areas: Socio-Economic partnership; Peace and Security; Governance and human rights; and green growth, technology, and sustainability.

The Vice President said these broad areas reflected the diverse range of priorities and interests shared between Ghana and the EU, guiding discussions towards generating innovative solutions and concrete actions that contributed to the collective well-being and prosperity of both parties and beyond.

“Our agenda is comprehensive, and I am confident that our discussions will be both productive and enlightening, yielding tangible outcomes that will further deepen and enrich the ties between Ghana and the European Union,” he said.

“It is incumbent on us to reflect on the progress achieved since our last meeting and to chart a course for the future, and I look forward to fruitful deliberations for our mutual benefit.”

Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, underscored that Ghana valued her relations with the EU.

“Over the years, our relations have transcended into partnerships, reflective of the ever evolving and increasing interdependence between Ghana and the EU as well as its individual member countries,” she stated.

“It is therefore important that we continue to engage, to tackle the various challenges that affect our world, some of which include peace and security issues, the migration crisis, climate change, just to mention a few.”

She said the Accra Dialogue provided another opportunity to set the tone for their collective efforts at resolving pending issues towards strengthening Ghana’s relations with the EU, which was their largest multilateral development and trade partner.

Mr Irchad Razaaly, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, said the Ghana-EU partnership was as strong as ever, even amidst today’s testing times, both for Europe and Ghana.

He said this was illustrated by the continued support for Ghana’s macro-economic stability, and the country’s ability to manage the ongoing economic and financial crisis.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in collaboration with the African Drylands Crop Improvement Network, has organized a three-day West Africa Regional Consultation Conference in Accra.  

The conference came at a critical time when the sub-region’s agricultural sector was grappling with the impact of climate change, posing challenges to food security and livelihoods. 

Dr. Paswel Marenya, a senior scientist at CIMMYT, explained that the West Africa Regional Consultation Conference on dryland food systems transformation aimed to address longstanding challenges in West Africa’s Dryland Agriculture.  

He noted that the transformation of dryland food systems would help address the longstanding challenges of dryland agriculture in West Africa.  

He cited key among them as low adoption of modern varieties and poor yields of key dryland cereals such as sorghum and millet, which currently stands at an average of 1 ton per hectare while the global average rests at 4 tons per hectare.  

He also highlighted key issues discussed at the conference, including integrating and leveraging agribusiness, exploring innovative seed delivery models, and designing sustainable seed delivery systems. 

The conference also focused on breeding strategies, formulating them for local and broader adaptation, catering to localized and broader markets.  

The initiative aims to increase the impact of dryland crops and ensure smallholders have consistent access to quality seeds, thereby enhancing productivity and livelihoods. 

Prof. Paul Bosu, Director-General of Ghana’s Council for Scientific Research (CSIR), commended scientists for researching to leverage dryland crops for food security. 

He expressed the hope that the conference would make a tremendous impact and not remain just as a project.  

He noted that cereals like millet and sorghum were crucial in combating food insecurity domestically.  

Dr. Eveline Sawadogo, a specialist in science, technology, and innovation studies from INERA, Burkina Faso, applauded the efforts for organizing the conference and working towards developing pathways to ensure food security.  

She said there was the need to identify key gaps, particularly in the areas of seed production and distribution to local farmers and ensure effective collaboration to guarantee greater yields. 

The conference brought together 47 scientists from nine National Agricultural Research Institutes across West Africa, including Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo, Chad, and Niger.  

The goal was to transform the dryland agricultural sector, delivering sustainable improvements in food security and livelihoods for smallholders and communities across sub-Saharan Africa.