A dedicated focus on industrial hemp could be transformative for Africa, but only 12 of the continent’s 54 countries have grasped its potential. Africa editor John Makoni writes that the plant is there, ready and waiting, he wonders why policy-makers are so slow to come to the party.
2026/04/23 16:33
John Makoni, Africa Editor
Hemp stands tall among readily available candidate applications to sustainably resolve Africa’s myriad problems.
From shelter, cosmetics, textiles to food, there’s seemingly an infinite continuum along which hemp can tick the box and satisfactorily perform the job.
It’s not surprising that even in countries such as Kenya, Namibia and Uganda (where permission is strictly for exports) that have shied away from endorsing or legislating for all forms of cannabis use that hemp-infused cosmetics, creams and oils circulate freely or on the underground.
Also, as a leading environmentally sustainable material, hemp offers immense possibilities for solving pollution, strengthening agricultural systems and preserving food source traditions.
In Ghana, for instance, plastic waste has become a major social and health nuisance.
From polluting the environment, blocking drainage systems and enabling stagnant water-related diseases like malaria and dysentery to decimating agricultural systems, plastic is now a virtual existential menace. Plastic waste has also decimated soil and food crop ecosystems and activists now pin their hopes on hemp. This is thanks to the plant’s deep-root tapping system that improves soil structure and soil nutrients retention.
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