Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy Secretariat has rejected claims that the government’s flagship economic programme has failed to produce results, saying it has secured billions of dollars in investment commitments and expanded round-the-clock operations across several sectors.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Secretariat said the programme had moved beyond the planning stage and was already attracting private investment, supporting industrial production and extending 24-hour services in public institutions.
The response followed criticism by Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, who questioned the programme’s achievements since its launch and suggested that significant public resources had been committed without clear outcomes.
The Secretariat said it had secured Joint Development Agreements worth $5.5 billion with co-development partners as of May 2026.
It added that 268 filling stations and 33 manufacturing companies had begun operating under the programme’s multi-shift model.
“The right measure is the investment the Programme mobilises and the production, exports and jobs it generates,” the Secretariat said.
According to the statement, the initiative aims to create 1.7 million jobs by the end of 2028, with four agreements signed over the past 90 days alone expected to generate more than 160,000 direct jobs.
The Secretariat also dismissed suggestions that the programme had consumed part of the GH¢650 billion approved by Parliament for government spending over the past two years.
“The GH¢650 billion cited by Hon. Oppong Nkrumah is the total that Parliament has appropriated for all government programmes over the past two years. It is by no means the expenditure made by or on the 24-Hour Economy,” it said.
It said the initiative is primarily driven by private-sector investment, with government providing support through project preparation, coordination and viability gap financing rather than directly funding most projects.
“Almost all of the projects are funded by private investors: Ghanaian and foreign companies and cooperatives,” the Secretariat said.
Among the projects highlighted was the proposed $1.45 billion Buipe solar and battery project, expected to generate 1,500 megawatts of electricity and create about 13,000 jobs, and the $250 million Kambonwule oil palm complex, which it said could create up to 120,000 jobs when fully operational.
The Secretariat also said several state institutions, including the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ghana Publishing Company and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), had introduced 24-hour services under the programme.
It said the phased implementation of the initiative was intended to allow the government to secure investment partners, prepare commercially viable projects and address constraints such as land acquisition, infrastructure and reliable electricity supply.
The Secretariat said the programme’s impact would become more evident over time through increased industrial activity, higher investment, expanded exports and job creation.
