In recent months, the concept of a 24-hour economy has gained political traction in Ghana, particularly as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) promotes it as a flagship campaign policy. However, there is increasing concern among economists and policy experts that the discourse around this idea lacks theoretical clarity and practical direction, especially with regards to industrialization — the missing link in Ghana’s economic structure.
To understand the 24-hour economy, one must begin with the basic structure of economic activities:
1. Primary Sector – Involves the extraction of natural resources such as agriculture, fishing, mining, and forestry. In Ghana, over 33% of the labor force works in agriculture alone (GSS, 2022).
2. Secondary Sector – Encompasses industries that process raw materials into finished goods. This includes manufacturing, construction, and food processing.
3. Tertiary Sector – Focuses on service delivery: banking, education, health, consultancy, and legal services. This sector currently contributes 48.9% to Ghana’s GDP (World Bank, 2023).
Despite these classifications, Ghana continues to suffer from what economists term ‘the missing middle’ — a weak industrial base that fails to link the vast output of the primary sector with the sophistication of the service sector. This structural void results in high youth unemployment, limited value addition, and a heavy reliance on imports.
A true 24-hour economy goes beyond keeping shops and fuel stations open at night. It refers to a continuous cycle of production, distribution, and services, driven largely by a robust industrial ecosystem operating in shifts — morning, afternoon, and night — to ensure maximum productivity and job creation.
Countries like South Korea, China, and parts of the United States have leveraged this model to sustain growth and competitiveness. In China’s Guangdong Province, for example, factories operate in three 8-hour shifts, employing millions and exporting products around the clock.
The NDC has rightly identified the need for more economic activity around the clock. However, their failure to explicitly brand the initiative as a 24-hour industrial economy suggests a lack of theoretical grounding. A few service-based examples (such as hospitals or trotro drivers working late) do not constitute a strategic economic transformation.
According to the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), only 7% of Ghanaian businesses are in manufacturing, while 93% operate in commerce and services. Without deliberate industrial policy, extending operating hours will merely stretch low-value service work and deepen underemployment.
To make the 24-hour economy a game-changer rather than a campaign gimmick, Ghana must:
1. Adopt a national industrial expansion plan tied to key value chains — agro-processing, textiles, metals, pharmaceuticals.
2. Invest in energy and logistics, particularly for industrial enclaves.
3. Create an enabling environment for factory-based shift work, including security, labor regulations, and healthcare access.
4. Strengthen TVET and STEM education to align with the skills demanded in industrial zones.
5. Facilitate private-public partnerships to build and manage 24-hour industrial parks.
The 24-hour economy holds promise, but only if it is rooted in industrial growth and economic theory — not populist slogans. Ghana’s missing middle — the underdeveloped secondary sector — must be the target. It is not enough to ask who will buy kenkey at midnight. The real question is: When will Ghana begin producing the machines that make the kenkey wrapper at scale — day and night?
If policymakers reframe the narrative as a 24-Hour Industrial Economy, backed by strategic investment and governance, Ghana could finally unlock its development potential and create sustainable jobs for its youthful population.
source:www.nsemgh.com
