The 24-Hour Economy Authority and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to prepare Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector for round-the-clock operations under the government’s economic transformation agenda.
The agreement establishes a framework for operational readiness, institutional coordination, and security support to enable 24-hour activity across key segments of the petroleum value chain.
Under the arrangement, the NPA is expected to develop and enforce operational standards for 24-hour service delivery across fuel stations, refineries, bulk storage depots, and bulk road vehicle operations. These standards will cover critical areas including lighting, staffing protocols, fire safety, digital fuel monitoring and site security.
The 24-Hour Economy Authority, on its part, will coordinate the broader enabling environment needed to support implementation, including collaboration with security agencies and other state institutions to facilitate compliance among certified operators.
The agreement marks an important policy step in aligning energy distribution infrastructure with the wider 24-hour economy programme, which seeks to deepen productivity, improve service availability, and support industrial and commercial activity beyond traditional working hours.
Officials say security deployment will be treated as an immediate priority as implementation begins. The NPA has already set up a Steering Committee and technical sub-committees to support the sector’s transition and establish the systems needed for sustained after-hours operations.
The partnership also brings together a broad group of public and private sector stakeholders across the petroleum and logistics ecosystem. These include the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC), Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD), BOST Energies, the Ghana National Tanker Drivers Union, the Tanker Owners Union, refineries, the Ghana Police Service, National Security Secretariat, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Petroleum Mooring Systems, the Ghana Revenue Authority, and private investors.
Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, Mr. Augustus Goosie Tanoh, stated that the initiative extends beyond requiring operators to remain open longer, describing it as a strategy for “building the enterprises and industrial capacity” necessary to sustain demand across the economy.
He said the programme is intended to create a support system for businesses seeking expansion, particularly manufacturers, traders, and transport operators that depend on reliable energy distribution and logistics networks.
Chief Executive of the NPA, Mr. Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, said the agreement aligns the Authority’s regulatory role with the national transformation agenda, with a focus on ensuring standards are “clear, enforceable” and capable of protecting workers, consumers, and critical infrastructure.
The MoU is expected to strengthen policy coordination among regulators, operators, and security agencies as Ghana positions the petroleum downstream sector to support extended-hour production, transportation, and trade activities.
