The 24-Hour Economy Authority is targeting the creation of 1.7 million jobs by 2028 through a pipeline of industrial, energy and agribusiness projects aimed at expanding Ghana’s productive capacity and strengthening its position within Africa’s growing single market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at a Citi Business Festival 2026 roundtable discussion on the theme, “Unlocking Africa’s Single Market: How Can Ghanaian Businesses Win Under AfCFTA?”, Chief Export Development Officer of the Ghana 24-Hour Economy Authority, Gabriel Opoku-Asare, said the initiative is designed to address deep-rooted structural weaknesses that have constrained Ghana’s economic transformation for decades.
According to him, Ghana’s economic model remains heavily dependent on exporting raw materials and importing finished goods, limiting the country’s ability to capture value and build resilience.
“If you look at the structure and the rhythm of our economy, it has not changed in the last 60 years. We export raw materials, and the prices are set externally. We import finished goods at premium prices, which are also set externally. So we literally have no control,” he said.
Mr. Opoku-Asare argued that successive economic reform programmes have failed to fundamentally alter the structure of the economy, resulting in recurring dependence on external support.
“What has happened since 1966 is that we have had 17 economic transformational programmes, but we go back to the IMF every three or four years. It tells us that the structural deformity of the economy persists and has not been fixed,” he noted.
He explained that the government’s economic reset agenda is anchored on two pillars: restoring macroeconomic stability and accelerating productive-sector growth.
Pointing to recent improvements in key macroeconomic indicators, Mr. Opoku-Asare said Ghana is beginning to see the benefits of policy reforms aimed at stabilising the economy.
“Today we can talk about inflation of around 3.7%, which has reduced over the last 15 months. Our debt stock is around 48%, GDP growth is around 6%, and the cedi is hovering between 10 and 12 to the dollar. That is progress,” he said.
He described the 24-Hour Economy programme as the vehicle through which government intends to scale production, drive industrialisation and create sustainable employment opportunities.
The Authority is also projecting a doubling of manufacturing’s contribution to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product while creating 1.7 million jobs over the next two years.
“So 24 hours, our goal is to create 1.7 million jobs by 2028 and, with that, double manufacturing’s share of GDP from 10% to 20%. We have made some progress. It is not all talk, and we have signed, over the last 90 days we have signed four bankable projects,” Gabriel Opoku-Asare mentioned.
He said the broader objective is to position Ghana as a competitive production hub capable of serving markets across the continent under AfCFTA.
“We want to drive Ghana’s productive engine to be able to deliver across Africa. That is what the 24-hour programme is about and how it connects to the AfCFTA agenda,” he added.
Policymakers and business leaders increasingly view AfCFTA as a catalyst for industrial expansion, export growth and job creation, which is why local firms are encouraged to build the scale and competitiveness needed to serve Africa’s 1.4 billion consumers.
The 2026 Citi Business Festival is powered by Citi FM and Channel One TV in partnership with Absa Bank and sponsored by Absa Bank, MTN Ghana, Zonda Tec Ghana Limited and Petra Trust.
