BY Daniel Bampoe
President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a bold and transformative plan to turn the Volta Lake and its surroundings into Ghana’s central economic artery under his flagship 24-Hour Economy initiative.
The Volta Economic Corridor, as announced during the official launch of the programme in Accra, will become the anchor project aimed at boosting agriculture, manufacturing, transport, tourism, and energy under a round-the-clock development model.
Addressing a national audience, President Mahama evoked the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, whose vision for the Volta project extended beyond hydroelectric power generation.
Dr Nkrumah had originally envisioned the Akosombo Dam and the Volta Lake as the foundation of a broader agro-industrial revolution—an integrated development plan that included irrigation, agribusiness, and national transport systems.
John Mahama lamented that this aspect of Nkrumah’s vision had long been neglected.
“Today, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s dream comes alive again,” Mahama declared.
“We are reimagining the Volta from a mere reservoir into a living economic spine that fuels food production, energizes manufacturing, connects regions, and becomes a tourism haven.”
Under the newly launched 24-Hour Economy agenda, Mahama outlined the Volta Economic Corridor as the lead intervention among eight pillars that make up the full framework of the policy.
Each pillar targets a sector of the economy to drive productivity around the clock, create jobs, and expand opportunities for Ghanaians. The corridor spans four sub-initiatives that directly affect the Volta Lake:
1. Grow 24 – Modernizing Agriculture
The government will irrigate over 2 million hectares of arable land surrounding the Volta Lake for large-scale agriculture.
This is expected to drive food production, create sustainable agribusiness jobs, and reduce Ghana’s reliance on food imports. The program will emphasize climate-smart and technology-driven farming systems operating continuously.
2. Make 24 – Agro-Industrialisation Hubs
The initiative will establish agro-industrial parks along the lake corridor, focusing on textiles, food processing, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
These parks are designed to operate in shifts to maximize productivity and stimulate rural industrialisation in lake-adjacent communities.
3. Show 24 – Tourism Development
Recognizing the untapped eco-tourism potential of the Volta Lake, the programme will create tourism clusters along the shoreline.
These include heritage resorts, cruise services, festivals, and cultural attractions to turn the lake into a magnet for both domestic and international tourists, with extended service hours to match global standards.
4. Connect 24 – Lake as Transport Artery
Perhaps the most transformative aspect is the plan to convert Volta Lake into a fully functional inland waterway transport system.
This would link the north and south, and the east and west of Ghana, easing traffic on the roads, cutting logistics costs, and opening new markets for farmers and traders across regions.
President Mahama emphasized that the 24-Hour Economy initiative is not simply about keeping shops and offices open longer, but about creating the infrastructure, policy environment, and incentives necessary for Ghanaian businesses to operate efficiently and competitively at all hours.
The initiative’s remaining pillars—Build 24 (infrastructure), Fund 24 (financial access), Aspire 24 (human capital), and Go 24 (execution and monitoring)—support the broader framework, ensuring implementation across sectors and regions.
Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy concept has been central to his 2024 campaign and forms a cornerstone of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s economic strategy.
