The northern part of the country – Upper East, Upper West, Northern, North East and Savannah Regions – is reeling from the impact of climate change, which is threatening the existence of shea trees.

Shea trees – the ‘cocoa of the north’ – are seeing a very steep decline in production due to the prevailing harsh weather conditions which affect its yield.

Sheanut production has been on a decline over the last decade.

According to recent figures, sheanut production has declined 10-20 percent and continues to nose-dive due to the impact of climate change and some other environmental factors.

Against this backdrop, exports keep increasing year after year – gradually rendering the local industry unproductive.

Ghana produces over 150,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts annually. Of this quantity, only about 30-40 percent is processed into shea butter domestically. The rest is exported as raw nuts, mainly to Europe, for refining.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 sheanut exports dropped slightly. Only 75,000 metric tonnes worth US$70million made it out of Ghana. However, in 2021 sheanut exports upticked again and has been increasing ever since. 85,000 metric tonnes of sheanuts valued at US$80million was exported in 2021, while in 2022 over 90,000 metric tonnes of sheanuts and shea butter worth approximately US$90million – which could have been refined in-country to derive the highest value – slipped out of the country.

The Ghana Shea Employers Association (GSEA), responding to this worrying trend, in a press conference renewed calls for an immediate ban on the export of raw shea nuts; citing the growing threat to local processors, value chain actors and the broader economy in Northern Region.

“This situation is negatively affecting pickers, processors and local businesses, many of which are women-led. The resulting market distortion is collapsing the local shea economy,” the association lamented.

The shea industry players express worry over the export of raw shea nuts without value addition and the less investment in the country’s shea value chain to create opportunities for Ghanaians.

The association is therefore calling for participation by foreign investors, on condition that they establish processing factories in Ghana to promote job creation and boost domestic revenue.

Sheanuts, being one of the country’s leading non-traditional agricultural exports, present an opportunity to improve the incomes of rural females in northern Ghana, helping to reduce the north-south development gap

The global market for shea butter is estimated at US$2.75billion and projected to reach US$5.58billion by the year 2033, growing at 6-8 percent annually.

However, low yield and the surge in foreign demand is said to have contributed to significant price increases at the community level, which is stifling local industry growth and presents a challenge to the entire value chain.

For instance, a 2kg bowl of shea nuts sold at GH¢12 in 2023 and then GH¢14 in early 2024. However, due to the meddling of middlemen and unregulated market activity, the 2kg bowl now sells at GH¢60.

The Ghana COCOBOD, tasked to control the commodity’s price, has done little to avert price fluctuations and middlemen activity.

This price hike looks impressive. However, these vulnerable sheanut pickers from the north, who are predominantly women, are continually being exploited by middlemen.

Apart from climate change, the shea industry – unlike cocoa – lacks much-needed support such as incentives for farmers to grow and produce more nuts.

This leaves the local industry struggling to source sheanuts to sustain their production, while a chunk of the country’s produce is shipped raw to multinational companies outside. These companies then make finished goods and sell back in Ghana at high prices.

Derived from sheanuts, Shea butter is a valuable commodity used for cooking, fabricating cosmetics, in pharmaceuticals and as a substitute for cocoa butter in chocolate production. It is a significant export product for Ghana, which is one of the world’s largest producers.

Evils of the climate menace have also made life unbearable and frustrating for people living in these areas, with ripple-effects on the entire country.

From the stifling heat that often comes with outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) and trees dying, the impact on economic lives of the people, who are predominantly peasant farmers, is glaring.

Rain patterns have become erratic and short-lived, thereby causing intermittent drought.

This is taking a toll on peasant farmers who rely heavily on seasonal showers for their farming activities.

Since these regions serve as the country’s food-basket, a little shake-up there impacts food prices.

The drought that ravaged the north during the 2024 crop season shot food inflation off the roof toward the end of last year. This shows how integral the north is when it comes to food security in Ghana.

Yet there has not been a deliberate and consistent effort to irrigate the north and promote dry-season farming as a viable means to shore-up the country’s food supply.

Rather, it is one failed initiative after another – and the situation is worsening each passing day.

The ‘One Village, One Dam’ initiative that was seen as a panacea for this perennial problem did very little to improve the situation. Its poor implementation led to some of the dams drying up in the early months after the raining season, taking farmers back to square one.

Left with no economic activity for nearly six months of no rain – a half-year of no farming – these vulnerable farmers expend their meagre incomes on food supplies and other basic necessities after the drought ravaged their yields. This impacts their livelihoods severely.

More disturbingly, droughts have become a common phenomenon due to global warming in recent years.

The effects of climate change is not limited to only food crops. Deep-rooted trees also succumb to the ever-rising temperatures.

With a thickened bark and toughened for the savannah’s extreme weather, the shea tree depends on seasonal rainfall. It starts bearing fruit after 10 years and reaches full production after 20 years – with a lifespan of between 200 to 300 years.

However, the ever-rising temperature – which clocks above 40 degrees in peak summers – affects not only the production yield of these shea trees but causes some of them to expire in the sweltering heat.

Cultural practices have also contributed to the challenges facing sustained shea production. In many shea-producing communities it remains taboo to cultivate shea trees, with a long-held belief that anyone who plants a shea tree will die once it begins to bear fruit.

Regrettably, limited efforts have been made to dispel this myth… resulting in continued reliance on wild shea trees and hindering the systematic cultivation of this valuable economic resource.

Environmental degradation linked to unregulated harvesting, deforestation, rampant bushfires, logging of shea trees for firewood and production of charcoal and destruction of shea tree farms for large-scale agriculture are threatening biodiversity and accelerating climate change.

Shea trees, being significant sources of carbon storage, are crucial for mitigating climate change and conserving biodiversity. Shea parklands are rich in biodiversity and possess significant potential for carbon sequestration.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) funded the Ghana Shea Landscape Emission Reductions Project, aimed at restoring degraded savannah forests – but it has yet to achieve its purpose. Despite the fact that it has been implemented for almost five years and is left with just three years to completion, the project has yet to fully restore appreciable forests in the savannah.

COCOBOD estimates that there are approximately 94 million shea trees across the savannah in Northern Ghana. While the entire West African region is home to approximately one billion shea trees.

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Two Ghanaian women have been rescued after falling victim to a romance scam that led to their kidnapping in Nigeria, in a case that has shocked the public and triggered cross-border investigations involving security agencies in Ghana and Nigeria.

The victims, Anastasia Baidoo Arthur and Evelyn Konadu, were lured into Nigeria under the guise of marriage proposals from men they believed to be white foreigners, only to be abducted and assaulted upon arrival.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor, detailed how the women were deceived by a criminal syndicate operating under fake identities online.

“These suspects met the two victims, Anastasia Baidoo Arthur and Evelyn Konadu through their Facebook accounts. The suspects posed as white men who wanted to marry the victims. The two unsuspecting victims became convinced and accepted the marriage proposals,” DCOP Donkor disclosed.

The victims travelled separately but arrived on the same day, April 22, 2025, at a pre-arranged location in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, where they were immediately kidnapped.

According to police investigations, the suspects – Peter Okoye, 31, Paulinus Chidokwe, 35, Chinoso Okafor, 35, and Christian Emeka – carried out the abduction. Okoye and Emeka, both Nigerians with prior ties to Ghana, had previously been involved in the operations of QNET in Ghana before returning to Nigeria. Emeka returned to Ghana again in 2024 before the kidnapping plot was executed.

DCOP Donkor explained that the group was part of a broader syndicate engaged in romance scams in both Ghana and Nigeria. “Peter Okoye, Christian Emeka and Basil Okonkwo, all Nigerians were into romance scam in Nigeria and Ghana,” she noted.

After kidnapping the victims, the suspects subjected them to brutal treatment. The victims were stripped, tied up, and assaulted with machetes. They were also threatened with death, wrapped in bedsheets, had their heads covered with black polythene, and were told they would be hanged using nylon ropes.

The ordeal was recorded on video and circulated on social media. Copies were also sent to the victims’ families with a ransom demand of GH₵500,000 for each victim.

“Videos of the torture were shared widely on social media and used as a tool to extort families,” DCOP Donkor revealed. Before the arrests, GH₵18,000 had already been transferred via mobile money to various accounts linked to the suspects.

With assistance from Ghana’s National Signals Bureau (NSB) and the Nigeria Police Force, the victims were eventually rescued and eight suspects were arrested from hideouts in both countries.

“The Ghana Police Service is collaborating closely with Nigerian authorities to expedite the return of the two victims and suspects back to Ghana,” DCOP Donkor confirmed. “As of today, both suspects and victims are with the Nigerian authorities, and efforts are being made to transport the victims to Ghana.”

She added that the suspects would also be extradited to Ghana to assist further investigations.

Police have cautioned the public against falling prey to online romance scams and urged individuals to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.

The disturbing incident has sparked renewed calls for vigilance in online engagements and greater collaboration between security agencies across borders to tackle cyber-enabled crimes.

Watch the video below;

Ghana Police brief public on recent kidnapping incident involving two Ghanaian women in Nigeria.

According to the Police, the victims were lured to Nigeria through a romance scam. Two Nigerian suspects had created a fake Facebook account, posing as a white man, and promised… pic.twitter.com/HXUMVRSrIz

— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) May 6, 2025

The visit forms part of a broader stakeholder engagement initiative by AIB Ghana

The Acting Commissioner of the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB) of Ghana, John M. K. Wumborti, has paid a courtesy call on the Ghana Air Force, as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration with key stakeholders in the aviation sector.

The visit aimed to build stronger working relationships that will enhance the bureau’s mandate of investigating and preventing aviation-related accidents and incidents within the country.

Speaking during the engagement on May 6, 2025, Wumborti underscored the importance of cooperation among institutions operating within the aviation space.

“The job is such that you need a lot of collaborators to work with, and so I am doing what is called stakeholder engagement. The Ghana Air Force is one of the key stakeholders that we have in our sector,” he said.

“We are in the aviation industry, and the Ghana Armed Forces is in our industry, so I feel that we come closer so that we can have a conversation for us to carry out our mandate to prevent incidents from happening in our jurisdiction.”

Receiving the delegation, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Eric Agyen Frempong, welcomed the initiative and emphasised the value of institutional collaboration in achieving national goals.

“Collaboration and working together will benefit all the institutions, and in the end, the country will progress if our work output improves,” he stated.

Air Marshal Frempong also called for enhanced financial support for aviation-related institutions to enable them to operate more efficiently and meet international safety standards.

AM/MA

#TheAdutwumFactor! Watch as Yaw Osei Adutwum declares intent to contest NPP flagbearership for 2028

Citizen Afo Dadaie, a representative of the Third Force Alliance-Ghana

The Third Force Alliance–Ghana, a coalition of smaller political parties including the CPP, PNC, GFP, GCPP, and APC, has thrown its weight behind the constitutional process that led to the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Essaba Torkornoo.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, leaders of the Alliance stated that the constitutional process, activated under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, is being carried out in accordance with Ghana’s democratic principles and should not be politicized.

“The invocation of Article 146 must not be about the personality of President John Dramani Mahama or that of Chief Justice Torkornoo,” said Citizen Afo Dadaie, a representative of the Third Force Alliance–Ghana.

“It is about the rule of law, good governance, and the sanctity of our Constitution.”

The Alliance expressed concern over attempts by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to politicize the matter, especially after the party suspended its ‘Thank You Tour’ to mobilize support for the Chief Justice.

It criticized what it described as “hypocritical and disingenuous tactics” being employed to stir political and gender-based sentiments against President Mahama’s constitutional actions.

“The NPP and its surrogates appear more interested in weaponizing this issue than respecting the dictates of the Constitution,” the group stated.

While acknowledging the significance of the suspension, the Alliance emphasized the importance of public trust in the constitutional process, noting that the decision to suspend the Chief Justice followed a near-unanimous recommendation from the Council of State, after a prima facie case was established in response to petitions filed by citizens.

“This is not a political witch-hunt. It is a lawful process aimed at maintaining the integrity of our judiciary.”

The Alliance also used the platform to recommend long-term constitutional reforms to enhance judicial accountability while safeguarding judicial independence. Among the key proposals were:

Independent Assessment Committee – to review prima facie cases without executive interference.

Statutory Timelines – to ensure swift resolution of Article 146 proceedings.

Public Release of Committee Reports – with appropriate redactions to uphold transparency.

Judicial Integrity Commission – a non-partisan body to investigate and recommend disciplinary action against judges.

Clear Definitions of Misconduct – to avoid politically motivated petitions based on vague terminology.

The group lauded President John Dramani Mahama for acting decisively and within the constitutional framework, stating that his leadership reflects a commitment to upholding the rule of law.

“President Mahama has shown that no one is above the Constitution. His action sends a strong message—justice must not only be done, but it must also be seen to be done.”

The statement was signed by prominent figures from the Alliance, including Virimando Mess Anha (PNC), George Attul (GFP), Rev. Mordecai Thomrian (APC), and Citizen Afo Dadaie (GCPP).

AM/KA

#TheAdutwumFactor! Watch as Yaw Osei Adutwum declares intent to contest NPP flagbearership for 2028

Michael Kpakpo Allotey has been unanimously confirmed as the new Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) following a decisive endorsement by Assembly Members during a Special General Assembly Meeting held on Tuesday at the Accra City Hall.

Mr Allotey secured all 30 valid votes cast in an election conducted by the Electoral Commission, representing a 100 per cent endorsement—well above the two-thirds threshold required under Section 20 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).

The confirmation, hailed as a strong show of unity and support, took place in a charged atmosphere of jubilation and drumming, attended by Assembly Members, government appointees, party executives, traditional leaders, and residents of the capital.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, who supervised the election, urged the Assembly Members to rise above partisan considerations. “This is the centre of Greater Accra,” she stated, calling on members to uphold their constitutional mandate and support the President’s nominee for the good of the metropolis.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Allotey thanked God and expressed deep appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama for the appointment. “I thank the President for entrusting me, a young man from North Kaneshie, with this responsibility. It is an honour I do not take lightly,” he said.

He praised his predecessors and pledged to build on their achievements. “I now hold the baton as Mayor of Accra. My predecessor has done her part, but today, it’s my turn. If I have any misunderstandings, I can seek advice from the many who have come before me, so there is no window for failure,” he said.

Drawing inspiration from the President’s development vision, he declared: “We are going to reset Accra—starting now,” adding, “what God cannot do does not exist.”

A Council of State representative and Chairman of the Economic and Social Development Committee, Nene Drolor Bosso Adamtey I, challenged the new Mayor to lead with “strategic foresight, empathy and discipline.” He identified sanitation, urban congestion, housing, youth unemployment and social equity as urgent areas requiring innovation and integrity.

Mr Allotey brings over a decade of experience from the private sector, having worked in real estate, petroleum, and logistics. He previously served as CEO of Our God Is Good Real Estate, contributing significantly to job creation and infrastructure development. His past roles also include General Manager at KYG Consultancy and EXOLUBE Company Ltd, and Transport Manager at DIMD Ghana, where he introduced reforms that cut operational costs and boosted efficiency.

Politically, Mr Allotey has held several leadership positions within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), most recently as Director of Operations for the Okaikwei South Constituency.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, says Ghana recorded 5,600 fibre optic cable cuts in 2024.

This widespread damage resulted in an estimated cost of US$9.2 million, equivalent to over GH¢138 million for the sector.

The CEO made these remarks at the 24th edition of the Chamber of Telecommunications Knowledge Forum in Accra, which was attended by the Director-General of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and representatives from various telecommunications companies in the country.

The forum, themed “Leveraging Fibre for Accelerated Development”, also saw the unveiling of the Telecommunication Industry Optic Fibre Minimum Specifications and Standards Manual.

This document is aimed at guiding and harmonising the deployment of fibre optic infrastructure across Ghana.

Dr. Ashigbey emphasised the significant impact of these disruptions, extending beyond the direct financial cost to the telecommunications companies.

He highlighted the loss of revenue, reputational damage, and the extensive time spent on restoration efforts, which collectively amounted to over 432 days in 2024.

Dr. Ashigbey noted the financial impact faced by the industry, stating that the average cost per fibre cut stood at approximately US$23,000.

He lamented the repeated instances of damage at the same locations, prolonging repair times and exacerbating the impact on businesses and essential services.

“This destruction costs the telecom companies, small businesses, banking services, emergency communication, education delivery, among others,” he said.

He identified road construction as the primary cause of the fibre cuts, accounting for 20.68 per cent of the total.

“Other significant causes included theft and vandalism (13.98 per cent), often fuelled by the mistaken belief that copper is embedded in the fibre cables, as well as the activities of private developers,” he said.

The CEO also cited broken ports, drain construction, fire, farming, flooding, and accidental damage by utility companies like Ghana Water and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as contributing factors to the extensive fibre cuts.

Dr. Ashigbey stressed the vulnerability of the nation’s critical digital infrastructure and called for collective action to protect it.

He acknowledged the support received from regulators and policymakers, including the NCA, the Cyber Security Authority, and the Ministry of Communication, Digitalisation and Innovation.

However, he called for intensified collaboration with infrastructure stakeholders, particularly road agencies, utility companies, and assemblies, to ensure the protection of telecommunications infrastructure during development projects.

“Key recommendations included mandatory relocation of telecom data cables in new road constructions, strict enforcement of excavation permits, and the establishment of dedicated utility management units within road agencies,” he said.

Dr. Ashigbey also called for decisive action against individuals and entities deliberately damaging the fibre optic network.

He pointed out that the funds spent on repairing fibre cuts could have been used to expand connectivity to underserved areas.

Dr. Ashigbey appealed to stakeholders to prioritise the protection of Ghana’s digital backbone.

He urged the Minister of Communication, Digitalisation and Innovation to champion legislation that consolidates existing laws and ensures the robust protection of telecommunications infrastructure.

He also called on the Ministers for the Interior and the Attorney General to support the implementation of such a law.

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GUTA President, Dir Joseph Obeng

The Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) has commended the Governor of the Bank of Ghana and his team for the measures put in place, which have led to the Cedi gaining strength against major trading currencies.

According to GUTA, this positive trend has brought a level of respite and renewed confidence in the economy.

In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Joseph Obeng, and Head of the Business and Economic Bureau, Charles Kusi Appiah Kubi, GUTA applauded the Governor for this achievement, adding that it has brought hope to the business community.

“We wish to highly commend the Governor and his team for efficiently managing the forex market to this extent. We believe that the fiscal discipline adopted by the Government has also contributed to this achievement.

“This has brought hope to the business community in recouping some of the capital lost over the past couple of years.

Importantly, it has also fostered positive speculation and predictability within the foreign exchange market, thereby eroding the notion that foreign currency is a store of value in the Ghanaian community.”

GUTA consequently encouraged the Government, especially the Central Bank, to continue with this laudable effort.

“These prudent measures, if sustained, will lead to full economic recovery, enhance business competitiveness, increase productivity, and alleviate the high cost of living in the country,” the statement added.

The Ghana Cedi started the week on a losing streak despite a massive gain in April 2025.

The local unit sold at GH¢14.60 to one American greenback in the retail market.

It, however, went for GH¢13.65 to one US dollar in the interbank market.

The local unit is currently among the top-performing currencies in Africa this year, recording over 7% appreciation since January 1, 2025. The CFA, used by Francophone West African countries is the best performing currency in Africa so far this year

All things being equal, the local unit would remain stable in May 2024.

KA