Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy Initiative: A Bold Step Toward Economic Transformation

On July 2, 2025, Ghana entered a new phase of economic ambition with the official launch of the 24-Hour Economy Initiative, a strategic national program aimed at unlocking economic productivity around the clock. Spearheaded by President John Dramani Mahama, the initiative is not just a call for night shifts—it is a bold structural shift designed to stimulate job creation, boost industrial output, and reposition Ghana as a competitive global exporter.

As the nation grapples with unemployment, under-utilized resources, and overdependence on imports, the 24-Hour Economy is being touted as a turning point that could realign Ghana’s development path. But what exactly does the initiative entail, what are its projected impacts, and what will it take to succeed?

Breaking Down the President’s Vision

During the launch, President Mahama laid out a comprehensive roadmap that goes beyond simply extending working hours. His speech outlined a holistic economic transformation anchored on eight core sub-programmes:

1. Grow24 – To expand agricultural production and agro-processing through 24-hour farming and support systems.
2. Make24 – Focused on boosting industrial production and factory activity around the clock.
3. Build24 – Infrastructure development, especially in transport, utilities, and logistics to support continuous economic activity.
4. Connect24 – Enhancing digital connectivity, transport networks, and trade corridors to allow 24/7 movement of goods and services.
5. Fund24 – Making affordable financing (including single-digit interest loans) available for businesses willing to transition to 24-hour operations.
6. Show24 – Promoting the creative economy, tourism, and cultural industries to thrive at night and contribute to job creation.
7. Aspire24 – Investing in youth skills development, training, and innovation to meet the demands of a 24-hour labor force.
8. Go24 – A governance and accountability framework to coordinate, monitor, and drive performance across all sectors involved.

Expected Impact on the Economy

The 24-Hour Economy is expected to deliver transformative gains in multiple areas:

• Job Creation: With the target of creating 1.7 million quality jobs within four years, the initiative seeks to reduce youth unemployment by opening new shifts in agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and service sectors.
  
• Export Expansion: By scaling up production and improving infrastructure, Ghana hopes to reduce its reliance on imports and become a stronger player in global trade.
  
• SME Empowerment: Small and medium-sized businesses stand to benefit from tax incentives, special financing windows and access.
• Ghana’s ambition to become a truly round-the-clock economy is as visionary as it is practical. In a world where nations are leveraging time and technology to maximize output, this initiative signals a new mindset—one that reimagines productivity not as a fixed 8-to-5 schedule but as a dynamic, responsive, and inclusive system.

• The 24-Hour Economy isn’t just about keeping the lights on at night. It’s about building a system where factories hum, farmers process, artists perform, cargo moves, and services operate at every hour—not out of desperation, but by design. It’s about creating an economy where time is a resource, not a limitation.

But this transformation will not come overnight. It will require:

• Political maturity to ensure continuity of the vision beyond one administration.

• Discipline and transparency in managing funds and delivering infrastructure.

• Cultural shifts, where society begins to see night-time work not as hardship, but as an opportunity.

• Security and safety systems that protect night-time workers, commuters, and entrepreneurs.

• Inclusive participation, especially from women, youth, persons with disabilities, and rural communities.

If these conditions are met, the 24-Hour Economy could mark the beginning of Ghana’s industrial rebirth—one that unleashes innovation, deepens self-reliance, and places the country firmly on the global production map. As the plan takes off, one thing is certain: Ghanaians are watching, and the world is listening. The time to work—not just harder, but smarter and longer—is now. And if Ghana gets it right, this bold experiment could inspire other African nations to follow suit, proving that in development, every hour indeed counts.