In his consuming desire to return to the Jubilee House, the then NDC’s 2024 flagbearer, hereafter, President John Dramani Mahama, gave all sorts of richly interesting, albeit unachievable promises, among other things, the seemingly illusory 24-hour economy.

My dear reader, as I write, there are no meaningful measures or steps being put in place to implement the much-trumpeting 24-hour economy of ‘1,3,3’ shift work promised by President John Dramani Mahama.

In his 2025 tuneful State of the Nation Address, President Mahama made it clear to the good people of Ghana that, there was ‘not enough meat on the bone’ to enable him to complete the Akufo-Addo somewhat expedient Agenda 111 hospitals.

It therefore came as a big surprise to some of us, when all of a sudden, President Mahama managed to find money to construct over 260 ostensibly risible 24-hour markets across the country at the expense of the Agenda 111 hospitals.

My dear reader, don’t let us delude ourselves into believing that the construction of the ludicrous 24-hour markets is much more important than the construction of the life-saving Agenda 111 hospitals.

Considering that a significant portion of the Ghanaian population lacks access to health, the completion of the Agenda 111 hospitals is of heightened importance more than the 24-hour markets.

There is universally recognised truth that goes: ‘healthy people are the foundation of healthy economies’.

My dear reader, if the preceding axiom is valid, then it makes every governance sense to complete all-important Agenda 111 hospitals over the farcical 24-hour markets.

In the grand scheme of things, no Ghanaian should get sick and die because they do not have access to health care.

“The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition” (the United Nations).

Indeed, the right to health is an alienable human right, and therefore it is monstrously unjust to denial the denizens and citizens of such right.

Let’s face it, my dear reader, 24-hour economy is not a policy. It is more or less a free market economy which draws its strength from the all-important supply and demand, with minimal or no government interference.

In effect, no government on planet earth can legislate, coerce business owners, or have total control over a 24-hour economy.

Besides, with the evolving global economy and the advent of AI and digital transformation, industries and businesses won’t require a large workforce in order to engage in a 24-hour economy.

Take Ghana for instance, with the advent of Bawumia’s all-important digital transformation, many businesses are engaging in 24-hour economy unbeknownst to some Ghanaians.

Apparently, the introduction of a programme such as the mobile money interoperability has ensured a 24-hour banking service in Ghana.

My dear reader, I am a living witness. Although, I domiciled in the United Kingdom, I am able to transact business around the clock, transfer money anytime from my MTN mobile money account to my bank account and vice versa.

Like my dear Sister’s 24-hour kenkey business, the emphasis is on supply and demand. Suffice it to say, my Sister cannot work around the clock without the needed patronage.

That is, my dear Sister has to keep improving on the quality and thereby increasing her customer base so as to work around the clock.

My dear reader, indeed, 24-hour economy is driven by supply and demand. Take for instance, a lot of supermarkets in the United Kingdom have ceased their 24-hour services due to poor patronage.

Mind you, a 24-hour economy can only survive in a conducive environment replete with adequate infrastructure and/or provision of vital amenities such as electricity.

It is for this reason that I have been advising my friends and family members not to jump for joy over President Mahama’s seemingly tentative 24-hour economy proposal.

After all, President Mahama cannot compel my friends and family members to stay in the so-called 24-hour markets without the needed demand for their products.

And, apart from the supply and demand challenges, my dear Sister and many self-employers face other exigencies, most notably, dumsor(erratic electricity supply).

The fact is, businesses and industries did not flourish in the midst of the irritating dumsor during the Mahama first term administration.

In the days of the unspeakable dumsor under the Mahama administration, we witnessed the endless buzzing of generators all over the country. Most businesses folded up amid massive unemployment.

In those days, self-employers like my dear Sister, the kenkey seller, Hairdressers, Ice Kenkey Sellers, Butchers, among others, were the worst affected.

The annoying and costly buzzing of generators across the length and breadth of the country, unfortunately, went on for well over four years to the utter disgust of the good people of Ghana.

As I stated elsewhere, businesses do not need any massive interventions from government in order to offer a 24-hour service to their customers.

Businesses rather need a conducive environment and the provision of vital services such as uninterrupted electricity supply.

My dear reader, let’s be honest, if you are operating a successful restaurant for instance, do you need a government to coerce you to offer 24-hour service to your customers?

In fact, I was quite amazed to see booming business activities in some areas in Accra and Kumasi when I visited Ghana last December.

Evidently, the industrious Ghanaians including my dear Sister, the kenkey seller, and her minions, are blissfully engaging in 24-hour economy without any intervention from any government.

I would like to believe that President John Dramani Mahama was only trying his level best to hoodwink the unsuspecting voters. If that were not the case, how on earth would President Mahama promise a 24-hour economy in the midst of the unspeakable dumsor?

I’m afraid, the deliberate construction of 24-hour markets is irrational, incommodious, and seemingly retrogressive in the 21^st century Ghana.

K. Badu, UK.
[email protected]