Omanghana
Renowned Ghanaian model and entrepreneur Hamamat Montia has called on citizens to embrace locally produced goods as part of a broader campaign to preserve the country’s cultural heritage and strengthen its economy.
Montia made the appeal while outlining her mission as Ghana’s Cultural Ambassador for Shea Butter, a position she received from the government in February 2026 through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts.
Her appointment recognizes years of work promoting shea butter as an important Ghanaian heritage product with significant cultural and economic value.
Montia is the founder of the Shea Butter Museum in Accra, described as the first institution of its kind in the world. The museum documents the history, traditional production methods and cultural importance of shea butter.
She has also advanced her “Village to the World” initiative, which seeks to transform traditional rural knowledge into internationally recognized beauty and wellness products.
Speaking about her ambassadorial responsibilities in August 2026, Montia encouraged Ghanaians to “Consume Ghana” and “Wear Ghana” by deliberately purchasing products created by local farmers, artisans, designers and manufacturers.
She said shea butter, sometimes called “Green Gold,” should be viewed as more than a cosmetic ingredient. It represents generations of indigenous knowledge, environmental sustainability and African innovation.
The shea industry is particularly important to women in northern Ghana, where harvesting, processing and trading provide income for numerous households and women-led cooperatives.
According to Montia, choosing locally processed shea products allows consumers to support these communities directly while helping to create employment and improve rural livelihoods.
Her campaign also seeks to change Ghana’s position within the global shea industry. Although the international market is valued at more than $2.6 billion, African producers capture only a limited share of the revenue because much of the crop is exported in raw or minimally processed form.
The most profitable stages—including refining, branding, packaging and retail—are often completed outside the continent.
Montia is therefore advocating greater investment in domestic processing and the production of premium, ethically sourced Ghanaian goods capable of competing internationally.
She believes increasing local value addition would allow Ghana to retain more revenue, protect the cultural origins of shea production and give rural women a stronger position within the global supply chain.
Her mission also aims to establish Ghana as a leading destination for natural skincare, wellness tourism and cultural education.
Through the “Consume Ghana, Wear Ghana” message, Montia is encouraging citizens to treat everyday purchasing decisions as investments in national development.
Her advocacy demonstrates how a traditional resource rooted in rural communities can support modern manufacturing, international branding and sustainable economic growth.
Source: Omanghana
