Mahama: 24hr Economy Path Will Be Challenging But …

President John Dramani Mahama has officially launched the long-anticipated 24-hour economy and accelerated export development programme, dubbed the 24-hour Agenda, describing it as a national reset and a bold step toward self-reliance, inclusivity and prosperity.

Delivering the keynote address at the launch ceremony in Accra on July 2, 2025 the President declared: “The path is going to be challenging, but we will succeed. And we will succeed with discipline, coordination and shared purpose.”

He described the agenda as the beginning of a new model of economic development, one grounded in productivity, powered by the private sector and coordinated by the state.

Tracing the roots of the 24-hour Agenda, President Mahama explained that the vision was inspired by deep reflection during and after his previous administration.

He described Ghana’s economic model as one trapped in a cycle of unequal exchange exporting raw materials and importing finished goods a system that enriches foreign economies while leaving Ghanaian youth unemployed and industries stagnant.

“We ship cocoa, gold, timber and oil abroad, only to repurchase them as chocolates, jewelry, furniture and fuel at a far greater cost. This model does not serve our people. It generates foreign jobs and funds foreign healthcare and education systems,” he stated.

The 24-hour economy concept, which once resonated as a mere slogan, during the 2020 and 2024 election seasons, has now evolved into what he calls a “coherent, integrated and multi-sectoral national strategy.”

The 24 hour Pillars

President Mahama was quick to emphasize that the 24-hour Agenda is not merely about working longer hours, but about unleashing productivity, expanding opportunity and boosting exports.

At the heart of the agenda are eight synergistic sub-programme, each with a specific focus:

GROW24: Enhancing agricultural productivity, food security and agro-processing

MAKE24: Revitalising manufacturing and industrialisation

PAGE24: Accelerating construction, housing and public infrastructure

SHOW24: Developing creative, cultural and tourism assets

CONNECT24: Fixing logistics, warehousing, energy and digital infrastructure

FUND24: Unlocking innovative financing through credit guarantees, blended finance and venture capital

ASPIRE24: Building a skilled, ethical and digitally savvy workforce

GO24: Engaging all sectors religious, civic, security and academic in national productivity and pride

“These are not just names. They represent a structural rethinking of how we target job-rich, export-oriented sectors and build forward and backward linkages across the economy,” the President explained.

One of the most ambitious features of the programme is the Border Economic Corridor, a flagship intervention aimed at unlocking the economic and environmental potential of Ghana’s inland regions and reconnecting with Sahelian neighbors.

He announced that, “We will recreate over 2 million hectares of high-intensity agriculture under GROW24. We will establish agro-industrial parks for textiles, pharmaceuticals, and food processing, and tourism clusters along the lake under SHOW24.

“We will turn the lake into a central transport highway that connects north to south, east to west under CONNECT24.”

He painted a vivid picture of a transformed Ghana: fresh produce from Tamale air-freighted daily to Europe, vibrant aquaculture sustaining jobs, and modern logistics infrastructure slashing transport costs by up to 80%.

This, he said, was the realisation of Kwame Nkrumah’s dream of an integrated economic corridor powered by Akosombo, long overdue for revival.

Addressing how the programme will be funded, Mahama emphasized that the government’s role will be catalytic, not dominant.

“Government will facilitate, not control. Enterprise financing will come from commercial banks, development finance institutions, and blended instruments. Government funds will be used primarily for bulk infrastructure and to support a soon-to-be-autonomous 24-hour Plus Authority.”

He announced that FUND24 will be tasked with addressing capital access issues, providing credit guarantees, and avoiding breach of Ghana’s fiscal responsibilities to international lenders.

The authority, currently under a presidential secretariat, will evolve into a permanent institution that reports directly to the President, not just him, but “the next President and the next after that.”

In concluding his address, President Mahama issued a call to national duty, inviting labour unions, the private sector, traditional leaders, youth groups, civil society, and development partners to fully embrace the 24hour agenda.

“This programme is for Ghana’s future. It is a national strategy to ensure inclusive growth, export expansion, job creation, and structural transformation. Ghana belongs to all of us. The work of transformation must be the task of all of us.”

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