24-Hour Economy is Ghana's pathway to industrial transformation — Goosie Tanoh
Senior Presidential Advisor to President John Dramani Mahama on the 24-Hour Economy, Augustus "Goosie" Tanoh, has said the government's flagship economic policy is not only about extending working hours but about creating productive systems that operate continuously to support industrialisation.
He said the initiative is intended to connect Ghana's natural resources, energy, technology, manufacturing and markets into an integrated production system capable of creating jobs and adding value to the country's critical mineral resources.
Goosie Tanoh made the remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of the High-Level Conference on Governance, Critical Minerals and Conflict in Africa, being held in Accra from July 27 to 29.
The conference, organised by the Open Society Foundations, has brought together policymakers, civil society organisations, researchers, mining communities and private sector actors to discuss the governance of Africa's critical minerals.
"A 24-Hour Economy is not only about working at night. It is about productive systems that function reliably around the clock—energy, transport, ports, digital networks, finance, maintenance and public services," he explained.
He explained that the policy seeks to build an economy that produces more locally, exports higher-value products and strengthens domestic industries by linking mineral resources to affordable energy, skills development, technology and efficient supply chains.
According to him, Ghana's planned 1,500-megawatt solar project, supported by battery energy storage, forms part of the broader strategy to provide reliable power for industries while promoting battery assembly, recycling, steel manufacturing and machinery production.
"These resources must be connected to power, technology, skills and markets, and that is the purpose of the 24-Hour Economy and accelerated export development—to help build an economy that produces what it consumes and exports more value than it imports," he stated.
Goosie Tanoh also stressed that industrialisation must be underpinned by strong governance, transparency and environmental responsibility, insisting that communities should benefit directly from the country's mineral wealth.