President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled bold plans to transform the Volta Lake and its basin into a strategic industrial and logistical hub under the government’s flagship 24-hour economy policy.
Speaking at a multi-sectoral engagement at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, May 28, the President highlighted the “Volta Economic Corridor” as the defining anchor of the ambitious 24H+ Programme.
“The time has come to move beyond hydropower and to position the Volta system as the backbone of a new industrial Ghana,” President Mahama declared, outlining a transformative vision for the nation’s most significant inland water body.
Volta Lake to Become National Production Spine
The President described the Volta Lake as “largely underutilised in its broader economic potential,” despite its historic role in powering the country through hydroelectricity.
“For decades, the Lake has been central to our electricity generation thanks to the foresight of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and the dedication of the VRA,” he said. “But it remains largely underutilised in its broader economic potential.”
Under the 24H+ Programme, the Volta Basin will be repositioned as a national production zone and logistics artery. The plan envisions:
- Cultivating over two million hectares of arable lakeside land.
- Developing the Lake’s vast fisheries potential.
- Establishing industrial parks along the Corridor focused on processing agricultural output and manufacturing key industrial products.
“These parks will serve both domestic and regional markets,” the President added, positioning the Corridor as central to Ghana’s export and industrial expansion agenda.
Lake Transport to Cut Costs and Drive Regional Balance
To enable the Corridor’s success, the government plans to activate the Volta Lake as a fully functional transport highway. In the short term, this will connect northern food production zones to southern markets and export terminals, drastically reducing logistics costs.
“In the medium term, it will rebalance the geography of industry, allowing investors to site factories beyond the congested coast,” Mahama explained.
This logistics transformation will require:
- New floating assets
- Construction of lake ports
- Creation of long-term concession frameworks in partnership with the VRA and private investors
Integrated Value Chain Transformation
Beyond the Volta Corridor, the President emphasised that the broader 24H+ Programme focuses on value chain transformation across key sectors: agriculture, garments, pharmaceuticals, light manufacturing, and digital services.
“It recognises that to make real progress, we must move beyond siloed or piecemeal interventions,” he said. “It identifies the structural bottlenecks facing our economy and addresses them comprehensively—through infrastructure, finance, land systems, and skills development.”
Infrastructure and Enterprise Support
To support production and exports, the government is investing in:
- Industrial parks and logistics hubs
- Transport upgrades
- Value chain financing via the Development Bank of Ghana and the Venture Capital Trust Fund
President Mahama explained: “We are offering affordable long-term capital to businesses operating within the 24H+ priority sectors.”
Securing Land and Skills for Growth
The 24H+ Programme also includes:
- Development of land banks with secure titles and infrastructure
- The rollout of Aspire24, a skills programme to prepare youth for shift-based work, entrepreneurship, and digital roles
“It will ensure that Ghanaians—not just machines—power the 24-hour economy,” the President affirmed.
Incentives and Decentralised Implementation
To attract investment, the Programme will introduce performance-based incentives:
- Tax relief on machinery and inputs
- Fast-tracked regulatory approvals
- Export support mechanisms
The President was keen to stress decentralisation: “Each district will establish its own 24H+ Implementation Taskforce… ensuring that each region can chart its own development path—whether in agribusiness, tourism, crafts, or manufacturing.”
Next Steps: Consultation, Legislation and Launch
The full Draft Programme Document will be released on Tuesday for public consultation, with the official launch set for 1st July 2025 – Ghana’s Republic Day.
“I invite you—many of whom helped shape it—to be part of its finalisation,” President Mahama told the investors. To institutionalise delivery, he announced plans to establish the 24H+ Secretariat as an independent authority, reporting directly to the Presidency.
A National Reset in Motion
In his closing remarks, President Mahama underscored that the 24H+ Programme is no longer an idea but a concrete plan in motion. “This is no more just a vision. It is a plan. A structured, sequenced, and inclusive plan. And it is already in motion… Ghana is ready to take this next step. And we are taking it together.”
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