24-Hour Economy policy has shifted from slogan to strategy – Mahama

President John Mahama says the 24-hour economy policy has now moved beyond a slogan to become a detailed national strategy aimed at creating jobs and transforming the economy.

Speaking at the official launch of the 24-hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme also branded as the 24H Plus Agenda, on Wednesday, July 2, President Mahama described the policy as “more than a policy initiative, it is a national reset, a bold strategic shift to unlock our country’s full productive potential.”

He said the programme signals a return to the vision of Ghana’s founding fathers. “Today we reclaim our founders’ vision of a self-reliant, industrious and inclusive African nation that works with organised creativity and ensures prosperity for all,” the President stated.

Tracing the origins of the plan, Mahama said it was born from his reflections after leaving office in 2016. “Between 2016 and 2020, it became increasingly clear that Ghana, like many African countries, is trapped in a model of unequal exchange,” he said.

“We export raw materials and we import refined finished products. We ship cocoa, gold, oil, timber abroad only to repurchase them as chocolate, jewellery, furniture, and fuel at a far greater cost.”

Mahama added that the existing economic model “does not serve our people, it has never served our people, it generates foreign jobs, it fuels foreign economies and funds foreign healthcare and education systems, while our youths remain unemployed, our industries stagnate and our imports balloon.”

He said that while his previous government had made progress in energy, ICT, roads, and education, the need for a more coordinated approach became clear.

“We had laid the essential foundation then for energy and infrastructure for roads, for ICT systems, and human capital investment, but we knew that we needed to go further. And that meant we needed an integrated bold and coherent approach that dismantles the silos of past policies.”

“The 24-hour Plus Programme is that collective answer. And so we’ve moved from slogan to strategy today,” Mahama added.

He acknowledged that the idea of a 24-hour economy gained traction during the 2020 and 2024 elections, becoming a slogan of hope.

“In 2020, again in 2024, the idea of a 24-hour economy captured national attention, it became a slogan of hope, a symbol that change was necessary and that it was possible. Our task now is to move from vision to implementation, from aspiration to action,” he said.

The President added that, “This launch is not the end, but it is the beginning of a massive national mobilisation.”

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