The President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Seth Twum Akwaboah, has called on the government to prioritize concrete implementation over branding in its push to establish a 24-hour Economy, arguing that the policy’s success will be determined by practical steps rather than the popularity of its name.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition, Akwaboah said the focus must shift from slogans to the specific interventions required to alter the existing economic structure. “For me, I don’t bother so much about the clichés you create, whether it is 24-Hour Economy or 1D1F; that’s not really the issue for me. It is more of what you do within those policies,” he said.
He emphasized that policy development must be consultative and grounded in measurable activities. “You can come up with any policy, but then, when you develop the policy, what has gone into the policy development? How consultative was its nature? What are the key policies or activities within the policy that you are trying to implement to change the status quo?” he asked.
The remarks come as the government advances efforts to operationalize its flagship 24-hour economy policy, designed to extend economic activity beyond traditional working hours and generate new opportunities for businesses and workers. Akwaboah acknowledged that the initiative initially lacked clarity, prompting questions from the private sector. However, he noted that ongoing consultations have improved understanding of the government’s direction.
“I think we are making good progress because now it’s coming clearer. Government is defining,” he said.
Akwaboah cautioned against expectations of immediate transformation, drawing a parallel to the previous administration’s One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme. “When you hear a cliché, when you hear a mention of something like that, sometimes the expectation is that overnight things will change and everything will be a 24-hour economy. It doesn’t happen like that,” he explained. “The same thing I said is that when we had the 1D1F. All of a sudden, you think that every district is going to have an industry? Government has mentioned it. It’s an intention. It’s a vision. How do we work towards it?”
He stressed that the immediate task is to define the specific programmes and activities that will drive the policy forward. The government has since launched a blueprint for the initiative, which Akwaboah believes contains viable ideas capable of reshaping economic activity if fully implemented.
“Gradually they are coming to that point where now they’ve launched a blueprint, and then in it there are a lot of interesting ideas. If we’re able to implement it to the letter, I’m sure it will help change a lot of things,” he said.
The AGI president reaffirmed the association’s support for the policy and confirmed that it is already engaging with the 24-hour economy secretariat on implementation. “So for me, I embrace it just as we embraced the 1D1F, AGI embraces the 24-hour economy, and we are working with government,” he said. “We are working with the 24-hour economy secretariat to implement some of the things they said they will implement. If we’re able to do it, it will be a game changer.”
The association’s stance signals continued private-sector willingness to collaborate, provided the policy translates into actionable reforms that address structural constraints such as energy reliability, logistics, and regulatory bottlenecks. As the government moves from framework to execution, the extent of stakeholder inclusion and the pace of regulatory reform will likely determine whether the 24-hour economy becomes a functional reality or remains a aspirational label.