By: Kwame Bediako
President John Dramani Mahama officially launched the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development initiative on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The launch marked a significant step in his ‘Reset Ghana agenda’, aiming to transform the nation’s economic landscape and create more opportunities for growth and employment.
During the ceremony, President Mahama emphasized the origins and motivations behind the Accelerated Export Development Programme.
“The programme was born from reflection during and after my previous term in office. Between 2016 and 2020, it became increasingly clear that Ghana, like many African countries, is trapped in a model of an equal exchange. We export raw materials and we import refined finished products”; President Mahama stated.
He highlighted the economic inefficiencies of Ghana’s current trade model. “We ship cocoa, gold, timber and oil abroad, only to repurchase them as chocolates, jewelry, furniture and fuel at a far greater cost. This model does not serve our people. It has never served our people,” President Mahama affirmed, underscoring the need for a more value-driven approach to economic development” President Mahama said.
The President also pointed out the broader implications of Ghana’s reliance on exports of raw resources. “It generates foreign jobs, fuels foreign economies, and funds foreign healthcare and education systems. While our youth remain unemployed, our industry stagnates and our imports balloon. We had laid the essential foundation then for energy infrastructure, roads, ICT systems and human capital investment,” he explained.
President Mahama also outlined that Ghana needed to move beyond isolated policies. “But we knew that we needed to go further. And that meant we needed an integrated, bold, and coherent approach that dismantled the silos of past policies. The 24-hour plus programme is that collective answer. And so we’ve moved from slogan to strategy today,” he declared, signaling a new chapter in Ghana’s economic transformation.
