Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to building a resilient and inclusive economy through innovation and continuous productivity.

Speaking at the Africa Growth and Opportunity: Research in Action Forum in Palermo, Italy, Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang underscored the country’s bold strategy for job creation and economic transformation.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, the Vice President emphasised that “job creation in Ghana is not an afterthought, but the heartbeat of our economic transformation.”

The presentation highlighted Ghana’s flagship 24-Hour Economy framework, which seeks to reorganise productivity across key sectors to ensure that “opportunity never sleeps.”

The initiative is anchored on eight interconnected pillars — Grow24, Make24, Build24, Connect24, Fund24, Aspire24, Show24, and Go24 — all designed to stimulate sustained economic activity in agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, finance, and digital innovation.

Key government programmes under the framework include:

Feed Ghana Programme and Grow24, aimed at modernising agriculture through irrigation, logistics integration, and climate-smart farming.

BRIDGE Initiative, which supports small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with financing and training.

Adwumawura Programme and the One Million Coders Initiative, with a focus on equipping youth with skills for a green and digital economy.

The Vice President reported positive economic indicators, noting that inflation has dropped to single digits, the Cedi was ranked the best-performing currency in Africa, and investor confidence is on the rise.

However, she emphasised that beyond macroeconomic gains, its focus remains on ensuring that “farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs see their labour rewarded.”

The Big Push Infrastructure Agenda continues to generate employment across sectors, while new initiatives such as the Women’s Development Bank and the WAPE Fund aim to keep women and youth at the heart of Ghana’s economic recovery.

Concluding the address, the delegation called for a redefinition of Africa’s global partnerships, urging that collaboration should move beyond aid and rhetoric toward shared prosperity through trade, innovation, and technology exchange.

“Ghana welcomes opportunities that serve our people and partnerships that are truly mutually beneficial.

We are open to working with all partners to shape an economic order where work creates progress, and progress restores hope,” she concluded.