Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy: A Catalyst For 1.7 Million New Jobs By 2028

In a compelling vision for Ghana’s economic future, President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled the strategic foundation of his flagship "24-Hour Economy" programme. Aimed at transforming the nation’s industrial space, the initiative is projected to generate a staggering 1.7 million productive jobs by 2028. This ambitious roadmap seeks to transition Ghana from a consumption-led economy to a production-heavy powerhouse by maximising industrial capacity around the clock.

The details were unveiled during the Ghana Diaspora Townhall Meeting held at the Ghana High Commission in London not too long ago. Speaking to a packed audience of Ghanaians living abroad, Mr. Goosie Tanoh, the Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy Programme and Accelerated Export Development, provided a granular look at the progress already being made. According to Mr. Tanoh, the vision is not merely a theoretical exercise; it is already being codified into reality. In fact, four major agreements signed within the last ninety days alone have already secured over 160,000 of the targeted 1.7 million jobs.

The programme is anchored by high-impact, infrastructure-heavy projects designed to address systemic bottlenecks such as energy costs and import dependency. Among the most significant is the Buipe Solar Farm in the Savannah Region. This $1.45 billion facility is a cornerstone of the 24-hour strategy, designed to deliver 13,000 direct jobs while providing the lowest industrial electricity tariffs in Ghana’s history. By drastically reducing the cost of power, the government intends to make local manufacturing internationally competitive.

Food security and industrial agriculture also take centre stage through the Kambonwule Oil Palm Anchor Project. Valued at $300 million, this initiative is projected to create 120,000 jobs. More importantly, it directly serves a national interest: closing the country’s significant vegetable oil import deficit. By bolstering domestic production, the project keeps capital within the country and provides a sustainable livelihood for thousands of farmers and industrial workers.

Furthermore, the government is tackling energy sustainability and foreign exchange volatility through a dedicated Bioenergy/Biofuels Programme located at Buipe and Damanko. This project aims to deliver 30,000 jobs while saving approximately $450 million annually in foreign exchange outflows—a critical step toward stabilising the Cedi and strengthening the national balance sheet. On the logistics front, the Tamale Air Cargo Hub has already been demarcated for two major operators, with operations scheduled to commence in 2027 to boost export capabilities.

Mr. Tanoh emphasised that these figures represent only the tip of the iceberg. The current projections focus exclusively on direct employment, meaning they do not account for the vast network of indirect and induced jobs—including suppliers, logistics chains, and local service providers—that will inevitably spring up around these anchor projects. In economic terms, these sectors typically carry a multiplier effect of between one and four, suggesting that the ultimate impact on employment could be significantly higher than the initial base projection.

As Ghana looks toward the 2028 horizon, the 24-Hour Economy Programme stands as a clear signal of intent: to leverage the nation’s latent potential, reduce reliance on imports, and secure long-term prosperity through aggressive, sustained, and inclusive industrialisation. For the Ghanaian diaspora, the message is clear—a robust, production-ready Ghana is in the making.

Anthony Obeng Afrane