The Trades Union Congress Ghana has sounded a caution over government’s flagship 24-hour economy markets, warning that without trade reforms, the initiative could deepen import dependence rather than drive local production.
Delivering the 2026 May Day address in Koforidua, Secretary-General Joshua Ansah cautioned that the markets risk becoming “another channel for selling foreign goods,” similar to existing retail outlets dominated by imports.
The concern strikes at the core of the policy’s objective—job creation and economic transformation, raising questions about whether infrastructure alone can deliver those outcomes.
A Flagship Policy Takes Shape
The warning comes as the 24-hour market initiative moves from concept to implementation.
Across 261 districts, government is rolling out modern, round-the-clock trading hubs designed to integrate banking, healthcare, cold storage and other essential services. Construction contracts have been signed across multiple regions, with work expected to commence in phases.
Local Government Minister, Ahmed Ibrahim has projected that the markets could be operational within two years, positioning them as both commercial centres and tools for decongesting urban trading zones.
Government’s Economic Logic
For John Dramani Mahama, the concept is rooted in expanding productivity.
Traditional markets, he noted at a sod-cutting ceremony in Bimbilla, operate only periodically, limiting trading hours and income potential. A 24-hour system, supported by infrastructure such as refrigeration, lighting and financial services, is expected to unlock continuous economic activity.
In theory, this converts existing market spaces into higher-output economic units, improving efficiency and reducing post-harvest losses.
Big Promise, Big Assumptions
Economic modelling suggests the policy could be transformative. A fully implemented 24-hour economy could generate over three million jobs within five years and raise GDP significantly over the next decade.
However, these projections depend on several conditions: reliable electricity, adequate security, access to finance, and a shift in consumer and producer behaviour.
Without these, the infrastructure risks underperformance.
The Real Risk: Import-Led Growth
It is here that labour’s concerns become most critical.
The TUC argues that if domestic production does not expand in tandem with the new markets, the spaces will simply be filled with imported goods. In that scenario, the expected employment and income gains would fail to materialise.
In effect, Ghana could end up investing heavily in market infrastructure that facilitates consumption rather than production, exporting jobs instead of creating them locally.
Beyond Markets to Production
Government’s 24-hour economy framework acknowledges this challenge, describing the initiative as part of a broader restructuring of Ghana’s productive base.
The ambition is to move beyond piecemeal reforms toward a system that strengthens local manufacturing, agro-processing and value addition.
Yet the scale of that transition remains uncertain, and it is this gap between infrastructure and production that defines the policy’s risk.
A Defining Test Ahead
With contracts signed and construction imminent, the initiative is entering its most critical phase.
The success of the 24-hour markets will not be judged by the number of structures built, but by the level of economic activity they generate and the extent to which they support domestic production.
For organised labour, the message is clear and immediate.
A market is only as transformative as what gets sold inside it.
