BY Issah Olegor
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has officially launched the implementation phase of its flagship 24-hour economy programme from the agricultural sector, declaring farming as the foundation of the round-the-clock economic transformation agenda.
However, the move has immediately triggered strong backlash from opposition figures, who have dismissed the policy as a deceptive political project, describing it as a “419 initiative” designed to excite voters without delivering real structural change.
The announcement was made on February 16, 2026, by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, who stated that the 24-hour economy “begins on the farm,” and called on the youth to embrace agriculture as the backbone of the future economic growth.
“The 24-hour economy begins on the farm — and today, we are connecting our farmers to that brighter future,” the minister said, presenting agriculture as the engine that will drive productivity, job creation, industrial expansion, and import substitution under the policy framework.
From Campaign Promise To Policy Rollout
The 24-hour economy was one of the central campaign promises of the NDC ahead of the 2024 general elections. The policy was marketed as a comprehensive economic transformation strategy aimed at tackling unemployment, boosting productivity, and positioning Ghana as a competitive export-driven economy through continuous production and service delivery.
Following the party’s return to power, the government established a 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, initiated legislative processes, and later secured parliamentary approval for the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill, creating a legal structure to coordinate implementation across sectors.
While early public messaging focused on public service, industry, services, and manufacturing, the government has now reframed the rollout by placing agriculture at the core, arguing that industrialization and a sustainable 24-hour production cycle cannot exist without a strong and productive agricultural base.
Opposition Pushback: “419 Project” Allegations
Despite the government’s narrative, opposition figures—particularly from the New Patriotic Party (NPP)—have strongly criticized the programme, branding it a political scam rather than a serious economic reform.
Critics argue that the 24-hour economy has shifted narratives multiple times—from industry to services and now to agriculture—without a clear, consistent implementation framework.
Opposition communicators and MPs have described the farm-led rollout as “rebranding,” accusing the government of recycling existing agricultural programmes under a new political label without introducing fundamentally new economic structures.
Digital Platform
As part of the agricultural rollout, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture introduced a nationwide digital platform known as “Akuafoɔ Anidasoɔ” (Farmers’ Hope).
The platform is designed to modernize the farming sector through farmer registration, transparent input distribution, subsidy management, access to agricultural finance, and digital data integration.
According to government officials, the system will link farmers directly to agro-processing industries, logistics networks, and markets, forming a continuous value chain that feeds into the broader 24-hour economy model.
The policy’s strategic focus is on value addition rather than raw production, with plans to integrate farming into agro-processing, storage, packaging, transportation, and export systems, creating round-the-clock economic activity across rural and urban spaces.
Historical Skepticism And Political Context
The opposition’s skepticism is rooted in the political history, where successive governments have launched ambitious development programmes that failed to achieve their promised transformation due to weak implementation, funding constraints, and institutional overlap.
Critics argue that without massive investment in rural infrastructure, irrigation systems, agro-processing facilities, storage networks, and market access, anchoring a 24-hour economy on agriculture risks becoming symbolic rather than transformational.
They also point to past agricultural modernisation programmes that promised industrial linkages but collapsed due to poor coordination, limited private sector participation, and weak monitoring systems.
Government’s Defence
Government officials insist that the agriculture-first approach is strategic, arguing that sustainable industrialisation must be built on domestic production and food security.
They maintain that linking farms to factories, markets, and exports will create a continuous economic cycle that naturally supports a 24-hour economy.
