The National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Central Tongu and the Chairman of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Alexander Roosevelt Hottordze, has urged investors at the ongoing Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, to rally support for President John Dramani Mahama’s flagship 24-Hour Economy Policy.
Participating in a panel discussion at one of the side events, Mr. Hottordze expressed Ghana’s gratitude to the Japanese government for its consistent financial and technical assistance to the country across various sectors. He, however, emphasized that the time had come for Japan to deepen its partnership with Ghana by supporting President Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy agenda.
According to him, the policy, which is central to the NDC’s 2024 People’s Manifesto, is a well-thought-out strategy designed to boost productivity, create jobs, enhance GDP growth, and reduce crime by ensuring continuous economic activity through shift systems.
“The 24-Hour Economy is a game changer. It is a private-sector-led policy initiative that seeks to avoid waste, fully utilize our human capital, and provide jobs for the youth. It is President Mahama’s vision to reposition Ghana for accelerated economic transformation,” the Central Tongu MP stressed.
Hon. Hottordze outlined four main components of the policy:
- Grow-24: Cultivation of more than two million hectares of arable land to expand agricultural production and guarantee food security.
- Make-24: Establishment of agro-industrial parks along the Volta Lake to drive agro-processing, value addition, and export opportunities.
- Show-24: Creation of a tourism and cultural cluster along the Volta River to boost domestic and international tourism.
- Connect-24: Transformation of the Volta Lake into a major transportation hub, linking the north to the south and east to west, thereby improving trade and market access.
The MP explained that the initiative is private sector-led, with the government playing a facilitating role. He assured potential investors that the government’s responsibility would be to provide bulk infrastructure, seed capital for take-off, and an enabling regulatory environment while also ensuring effective monitoring to keep the programme on track.
He further noted that the 24-Hour Economy was conceived by President Mahama in his 2024 electoral manifesto, as part of his reflections on how to reposition Ghana’s economy for inclusive growth. “This is not an experiment; it is a carefully nursed idea by a seasoned leader who has learned from the past and is determined to secure Ghana’s future,” he remarked.
Hon. Hottordze admonished the Japanese government and private sector players to take advantage of the opportunities within the 24-Hour Economy, describing it as a mutually beneficial partnership that would not only transform Ghana’s economy but also strengthen Ghana–Japan relations.
