President John Dramani Mahama has donated 20,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) to women shea nut collectors across northern Ghana.

The President, represented by a Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, made the presentation to the women at the just-ended World Shea Expo 2025 in Tamale.

The PPE comprised protective boots, gloves and durable clothing which have been designed to safeguard the women who gather shea nuts from the risks of snakebites, insect stings and thorns.

The event was organised by the Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness (PIAA), Office of the President, and the Savannah Golden Tree Ltd.

It was supported by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), the Ghana EXIM Bank, the Ghana Enterprises Agency, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the Tree Crops Development Authority, COCOSHE, the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE), the Northern Regional Coordination Council, the Northern Development Authority and the West African Center for Shea Innovation Research (UDS).

The event, which was held in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, showcased grand policy ambitions, new industrial projects and international trade opportunities.

Impactful intervention

The presentation has been described as one of the most impactful interventions aimed at protecting women from the field hazards mentioned above in order to boost productivity in the shea industry.

As part of ancient sustainability measure, only shea nuts that have dropped naturally from the trees are picked up manually.

However, the pickers, mostly women, have to contend with many field hazards.

“Through this support, we are not just protecting our women; we are securing the future of our shea industry,” Ms Bampoe Addo said.

In a statement attributed to the Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness (PIAA), what made the PPE donation particularly impactful was its alignment with the country’s broader development agenda.

“It is not a standalone gesture but part of a larger policy framework that connects grassroots welfare to national economic transformation,” it said.

Also, PIAA explained that the government’s flagship 24-Hour Economy policy was to maximise productivity across all sectors, adding that with regard to shea, that required uninterrupted factory operations which depended on reliable nut supply.

“The PPE sets will ensure that women will be able to collect more nuts safely and consistently,” it said, adding that, it would also contribute to the country tapping into the over $2 billion demand for natural and organic ingredients in cosmetics, food and pharmaceuticals.

It further said that for the country to compete in that space, supply reliability was critical.

Development partners and investors who attended the expo commended Ghana’s willingness to invest not just in high-level policies, but also in the everyday conditions of its workforce.

Shea collection is a lifeline for over a million women across the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions where the population is deprived.

By improving safety and productivity, it is hoped that the PPE initiative would strengthen rural incomes, stabilise households and reduces poverty.

Source : daily graphic