Although the flagship 24-Hour (24H+) Economy initiative of President John Dramani Mahama was widely glorified and marketed as a shift system, it is emerging that the initiative is just far and wide beyond a mere shift system.
Ahead of the official launch and as more emerge, the true ambition behind the policy is becoming clearer. It is a bold economic transformation agenda to rewrite Ghana’s economic development trajectory. A trajectory that could fundamentally realign production, employment, exports, and national productivity.
The High Street Journal is coming to this conclusion after a media briefing organized by the secretariat to bring the media up to speed with the details and plan of the secretariat as far as the policy is concerned.
A presentation by the secretariat reveals that at its core of the initiative is the aim to build an economy that works for everyone, every hour of the day. But it goes much deeper than that. It is a coordinated national programme designed to industrialize Ghana’s economy, reduce its reliance on imports, and position it for export-led growth by reviving domestic production across agriculture, manufacturing, and digital services.
In essence, it is both a destination and a program to create a fundamentally new economy altogether.
Why It’s Not Just a Shift System
Presenting on the policy to the media, Abdul Nasser Alidu explained that what sets the 24H+ policy apart is its integrated approach, anchored in value chain financing and strategic coordination. It aims to revamp how Ghana produces, processes, moves, and markets its goods.
He adds the policy seeks to change the decades Ghana’s economy has relied heavily on exporting raw materials like gold, cocoa, and oil, while importing most of the food, machinery, and consumer goods it uses daily.
The secretariat reveals that currently, almost 50% of total industrial inputs are imported, and manufacturers earn nearly 90% of their sales from the domestic market, highlighting a narrow economic base.
The 24H+ policy seeks to reverse this trend through targeted interventions that build local capacity across entire value chains, from agro-processing and textiles to pharmaceuticals, logistics, and digital services.
Economic Inclusion and Job Creation
Abdul Nasser further indicated that the policy is designed to create at least 1.7 million quality jobs in four years, not just by extending working hours, but by expanding production volumes and diversifying Ghana’s economic activities.
Six model digital centers will provide training in coding, cybersecurity, data analytics, and digital marketing, while partnerships with business process outsourcing (BPO) firms have already secured 6,000 job commitments for graduates of these programmes.
The secretariat further maintained that the policy is a structured and scalable transformation that goes beyond temporary job creation. It also builds a resilient workforce and industrial ecosystem that can thrive in a competitive global economy.
Unlocking Capital Through Value Chain Financing
A key enabler of the 24H+ agenda is its Value Chain Financing Strategy, which removes funding from the government’s balance sheet and brings private capital to the table.
Through a national SME Lending Platform, entrepreneurs can access loans more efficiently, backed by real-time analytics, credit risk assessments, and performance dashboards. This digitized financing approach ensures that businesses are not only started but also sustained.
Whether it’s an agro-processing facility in a rural district or a textile plant in Akosombo, the platform ensures that the right capital flows to the right place at the right time.
A Mindset Shift for a New Economy
The policy also seeks a transformative and productivity mindset, which includes a national mindset and productivity campaign, and a focus on work ethic, innovation, and solidarity. The goal is to foster not just economic output, but a cultural shift, where Ghanaians view production, not consumption, as a national duty and economic opportunity.
The Bottomline
The 24-Hour Economy, in its fully revealed form, is no ordinary policy. It is an interwoven development blueprint that recognizes Ghana’s challenges not as isolated problems, but as symptoms of a deeper structural imbalance.
By addressing value chains holistically and shifting attitudes, skills, and capital flows, the policy offers a new path to shared prosperity.
