President Mahama Launches 24-Hour Economy Policy with Volta Lake Economic Corridor at Core

President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled the government's 24-Hour Economy Policy, a bold and structured plan aimed at revitalizing Ghana’s economy through round-the-clock production and industrial activity. The program is scheduled for a full-scale rollout in July, coinciding with Ghana’s Republic Day.

Speaking during a multi-sectoral engagement at the Jubilee House, President Mahama described the policy as “coherent and actionable,” noting that it has undergone thorough review and is ready for implementation.

24-Hour Economy Secretariat to Ensure Policy Stability

A central component of the policy is the establishment of a 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, an independent authority backed by legislation and directly accountable to the Office of the President. According to Mahama, this will guarantee institutional stability and policy continuity.

Volta Lake Economic Corridor: Ghana’s New Production Backbone

A highlight of the plan is the creation of the Volta Lake Economic Corridor, which will transform the lake and surrounding basin into a logistics and production hub. The project aims to:

• Cultivate over 2 million hectares of lakeside arable land

• Revitalize the fisheries sector

• Build a network of industrial parks for domestic and regional markets

• Develop floating transport assets, lake ports, and logistics infrastructure

“The lake will be activated as a transport highway, moving food, people, and goods more efficiently than our congested roads allow us to do currently,” President Mahama emphasized.

District-Level Implementation and Local Empowerment

The 24-Hour Economy will be implemented from the ground up, with district and municipal assemblies forming their own 24-hour implementation task forces. Each district will align the policy with its local economic development agenda, allowing communities to leverage their comparative advantages for industrial transformation.

Supporting Initiatives: Land, Skills, Infrastructure, and Finance

President Mahama announced a range of supporting initiatives, including:

• Land banks that are zoned, titled, and investment-ready to remove barriers for investors

• Aspire24, a sub-program to train youth for shift-based work, digital jobs, and entrepreneurship

• Major infrastructure development led by the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF)

• Financing from the Development Bank of Ghana and the Venture Capital Trust Fund to support SMEs, cooperatives, and agribusinesses

Structured and Inclusive Growth Strategy

"This is no longer just a vision. It is a structured, sequenced, and inclusive plan, and its implementation is beginning," President Mahama declared.

The draft program document will be released for public consultation ahead of the official launch, allowing stakeholders across sectors to provide input and strengthen national ownership of the initiative.