Policy think tank IMANI Africa is insisting that the government’s 24-Hour Economy does not need a new authority but can be driven by existing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and empowered local governments.
For IMANI, the initiative does not need a new centralized body to implement, given the resource constraints of the country.
In a policy brief cited by The High Street Journal, IMANI contends that the assumption that new policies automatically require new institutions is flawed and risks repeating a familiar governance mistake.
Ghana, it says, already has the institutional foundations needed to deliver a round-the-clock economy. What is required is reform, coordination, and empowerment, not administrative expansion.
Citing an instance buttress its case, IMANI points to the evolution of the Ministry of Communications into the Ministry for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation as a clear example of how existing ministries can adapt to new policy demands.
That transition, it argues, shows that when foundational institutions exist, the most efficient approach is to streamline and refocus their mandates rather than create overlapping authorities.
The think tank warns that the proposed 24-Hour Economy Authority could become a “super ministry” that duplicates the work of key sectors. The initiative’s eight strategic pillars, such as Make 24, Grow 24, and Connect 24, already fall squarely within the mandates of ministries responsible for trade, agribusiness, industry, agriculture, transport, and labour.
Creating an authority to “coordinate” these functions, IMANI argues, risks adding another layer of bureaucracy that slows decision-making instead of accelerating growth.
Moreover, IMANI identifies what it describes as a deeper problem, which is a growing decentralisation deficit. Development, the brief stresses, is ultimately local. When policies are designed and controlled from Accra, District Assemblies are often reduced to spectators rather than drivers.
This weakens ownership, blurs accountability, and frequently leads to stalled projects once central contractors disengage.
IMANI argues that this accountability vacuum explains why many well-intentioned initiatives fail at the implementation stage. If local governments are not involved in planning, oversight, and execution, they lack both the incentive and the authority to ensure projects are completed and sustained.
For the 24-hour economy to work in practice, the think tank says the focus should shift away from setting up new boards and offices in the capital. Instead, District Assemblies must be empowered financially and administratively to provide the basics that enable night-time economic activity.
This includes security, street lighting, transport links, and reliable local infrastructure.
“If we are to truly transition to a round-the-clock economy, the focus should not be on hiring a new board of directors in the capital. It should be on empowering the District Assemblies to provide the security, lighting, and infrastructure that businesses need to operate at night,” the brief noted.
IMANI concludes that while the 24-hour economy is a bold and necessary vision, it risks being weighed down by an outdated governance playbook.
To avoid the fate of past zonal and special-purpose authorities, the government must resist further centralisation and instead integrate the policy into the core operations of existing MDAs and local governments.
