The Volta Region is set to become the anchor of Ghana’s 24-hour economy and a key driver of the country’s next phase of industrial transformation. This is according to Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, who delivered a keynote address on behalf of Chief of Staff Julius Debrah at the Volta Economic Forum.
Speaking on the theme “Harnessing the Volta Corridor Economic Potential for the 24-Hour Economy Take-off,” Bampoe Addo described the region as “a land of natural wealth and power,” endowed with fertile plains, rolling mountains, and vast water resources that make it an ideal launchpad for Ghana’s 24-hour economic reset.
She said the Volta Economic Corridor, which spans more than two million hectares, is expected to attract over $1 billion in investments and create one million jobs across agriculture, logistics, manufacturing, energy, and tourism. The corridor, she noted, will serve as “a logistics and production backbone” to accelerate north–south integration and establish Ghana as a regional trade hub.
“These huge potentials cannot go unutilised, and under the 24-hour economy and the accelerated export development projects, this region occupies a central part of the economic reset agenda of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama,” she stated.
The Deputy Chief of Staff explained that a development blueprint for the Volta River Basin, completed in July 2025, will guide the establishment of industrial parks, economic enclaves, and inland water transport systems designed to link production zones to ports and regional markets.
She cited the Volta Corridor Centre, the Volta Economic Embassy, and the Keta port Project as examples of flagship initiatives already catalysing investments and coordinating the region’s marketing potential.
“The Volta Economic Corridor spans two million hectares of land and it will create over one million jobs and attract over one billion dollars in investments. That is why the Regional Minister says the Volta Region is poised to lead,” she said.
According to Bampoe Addo, the 24-Hour Economy Plus concept, Ghana’s enhanced model of around-the-clock productivity, has begun drawing global attention. It featured prominently at the Africa–Singapore Business Forum in August 2025, where President Mahama outlined how extended-hour operations can boost exports and job creation. She added that the United Kingdom’s Jobs and Economic Transformation Programme has aligned its support to Ghana’s 24-hour policy pillar.
Sectoral Transformation Agenda
Bampoe Addo outlined four strategic sectors where the corridor will create the most value: agriculture, energy, logistics, and tourism.
In agriculture, she said the Volta Basin’s fertile plains offer vast potential for integrated agro-processing parks, cold-chain facilities, and value-chain industrialisation, all supported by 24-hour logistics operations that will minimise post-harvest losses and improve export readiness.
In the energy sector, she described Lake Volta and the Akosombo Hydropower Station as strategic national assets that will anchor renewable power integration. The government, she added, aims to attract investors into hybrid solar–hydro projects that can operate around the clock to stabilise power supply for industries along the corridor.
“Lake Volta remains Ghana’s strategic hydropower asset. The development of this corridor will stabilise and expand electric base loads through the addition of more power plants and integration of renewable sources such as solar,” she said.
On logistics, the Deputy Chief of Staff said the government’s plan to transform Volta Lake into a 24/7 multimodal corridor would link the north and south, reduce inland transportation costs, and shorten delivery times for goods destined for export markets.
She also identified tourism as a critical component of the corridor’s growth strategy, given the Volta Region’s rich natural landscapes and cultural heritage. A 24-hour logistics and energy network, she said, would enable the region to host a modern hospitality industry centred on lake cruises, eco-tourism, and heritage experiences.
“When logistics and energy are supplied around the clock, a dependable local and national economy is created that attracts foreign investments through tourism,” she added.
Vision and Collaboration
Describing the Volta Economic Corridor as “a living testament to what can happen when vision meets collaboration,” Bampoe Addo said the government views the project as a model of public–private partnership that will link state agencies, investors, and local communities in driving sustainable growth.
“Through this corridor, we can build value chains that work day and night, 24/7. We can expand access to energy, create jobs for our youth, and open new frontiers of trade that link Ghana to her neighbours and to the world at large,” she said.
She urged participants to use the forum as a platform for bold, honest dialogue and practical recommendations to make the 24-hour economy a national success story.
“Let us use this forum to think boldly, to debate freely, and to design practical ways to make the 24-hour economy work for our collective good,” she concluded.
The forum forms part of the government’s broader plan to transform the Volta Basin into a strategic economic growth corridor within Ghana’s 24-hour economy framework.
