Mahama’s 24-hour economy pre-launch sets stage for Ghana’s bold economic shift

At the Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy pre-launch briefing held on Monday, June 30, 2025, at the Bank of Ghana, the presidential advisor described the 24-Hour Economy programme as “a destination, not just a document. Far beyond extending business hours, 24-Hour Economy (24H+) represents a structural redesign of Ghana’s economic model, integrating agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, energy, and digital innovation into a continuous, inclusive system of productivity.

In what is being hailed as one of the most ambitious economic overhauls in Ghana’s recent history, President Mahama’s administration is set to inaugurate the transformative 24H+ initiative—a comprehensive national strategy to redefine how Ghana works, produces, trades, and grows.

A Programme Rooted in Urgency and Inclusion

Speaking during the media briefing, a Senior Presidential Advisor, Augustus Obuadum Goosie Tanoh, declared, “Ghanaians must be tired of being poor… tired of the oppression of poverty.” These words weren’t political rhetoric—they were a direct challenge to every Ghanaian to rethink what productivity means, and what kind of economy the nation must build.

The 24-Hour Economy is not an abstract concept. It is a structured, incentive-based, private-sector-led movement to expand production, create at least 1.7 million jobs in four years, and dramatically reduce the $3 billion spent annually on food imports. The programme’s architects believe that continuous, sector-specific productivity is the only sustainable path to economic freedom.

Key Goals: From Value Chains to Job Chains

At the core of the 24H+ framework are six ambitious objectives:

1. Boost national self-reliance by reducing import dependence and insulating the economy from global shocks.
2. Integrate local value chains, ensuring that what is grown, manufactured, or mined is processed and consumed or exported efficiently.
3. Optimize the use of labour, capital, and resources by encouraging multi-shift production and logistics across sectors.
4. Increase production volumes and diversity, creating more opportunities for meaningful work.
5. Export surpluses strategically, instead of exporting basic food items needed locally.
6. Instill a new cultural mindset that values fairness, equity, and productivity in the workplace.

These goals are backed by strategic initiatives like the Volta Economic Corridor, the National Digital Skills Mission, and Wumbei Industrial Parks, which will support agro-processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and local machinery production.

How It Works: Sector Models and Off-Government Financing

Contrary to misconceptions, the programme is not simply about requiring all businesses to operate overnight. Instead, it introduces sector-specific productivity models—including flexible shifts for industries with capacity for 24-hour operations. It’s about optimizing output, not overworking labor.

What makes this model uniquely viable is its off-government balance sheet structure. Private capital will drive infrastructure, factory expansion, and innovation hubs—freeing public resources for regulation, facilitation, and support. Ghana’s bureaucracy, traditionally viewed as an obstacle to progress, will be retooled to act as a partner in rapid deployment.

Businesses that achieve “24/7 Ready” status will enjoy incentives like:

• Up to 50% corporate tax reduction
• Export rebates
• Fast-track access to electricity and utilities
• Support for value chain financing through a national lending portal

Youth, Women, and SMEs at the Core

The 24H+ isn’t a top-down industrial command—it’s designed to be broadly inclusive. Young people, especially through TVET and digital upskilling programmes, will have direct pipelines into BPO jobs and agro-industrial roles. Women, smallholder farmers, and local creatives are included through targeted financing, cooperative models, and SME certification.

The Aspire24 programme, for instance, is creating digital centers of excellence that will train youth in coding, cybersecurity, and digital marketing, while matching them to job opportunities across Africa through Pan-African talent hubs.

Strategic Projects to Power the Vision

Under the banners GROW24, BUILD24, MAKE24, SHOW24, ASPIRE24, and more, over a dozen national projects will roll out simultaneously:

• Eden Volta Breadbasket Project
• Urban Vegetable Farming in all 16 regions
• Textile and Garment Parks in 7 cities
• Pharmaceutical Innovation Hubs in Legon
• National Creators Academy for content and animation professionals

What Comes Next

On Wednesday, July 2, the official launch at Independence Square will not be just another political event—it will be a signal to the entire nation that Ghana is waking up to a new economic reality.

President Mahama’s written address summarized it best:

“The 24-Hour Economy is more than a policy. It is a national mindset shift. It’s about an economy that works for everyone—every hour of the day.”

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