UDS Harmattan School backs 24-Hour Economy drive to boost creative exports

By Samuel SAM

The University for Development Studies (UDS), through its Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIR), has used its 20th Harmattan School to rally support for government efforts to position the country’s cultural and creative industries as exportable value chains under the 24-Hour Economy initiative.

Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy Programme, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, said the policy seeks to reorganise production through coordinated action across energy, logistics, skills development and industrial platforms. He noted that more than eight million Ghanaians remain in vulnerable employment, describing it as a structural productivity challenge that requires systemic reform.

He added that government plans include mobilising blended finance, aligning skills training with industrial demand, expanding agro-ecological corridors to strengthen domestic feedstock production, and upgrading infrastructure. As part of the strategy, the Tamale International Airport is to be developed into a major cargo hub to support expanded economic activity and private-sector growth.

Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei cautioned that the 24-Hour Economy, the $10 billion “Big Push” infrastructure agenda and the MahamaCares programme would require disciplined planning, stakeholder consultation and transparent execution to succeed.

She called for a national skills compact, labour law reforms to address shift work, and stronger security and regulatory systems to support extended business operations.

Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Prof. Amin Alhassan, urged stronger collaboration between policymakers and research institutions to bridge the gap between policy and implementation.

UDS Vice-Chancellor Prof. Seidu Al-Hassan, represented by Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Elliot Alhassan, explained the university’s capacity in rural enterprise development and agro-processing, calling for deeper institutional engagement in delivering national development initiatives.

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