IERPP questions 1.7m jobs promise under 24-hour economy, demands figures from government

The Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP) has questioned the government’s progress towards its promise to create 1.7 million jobs under the 24-Hour Economy initiative, saying authorities have yet to provide verifiable figures on the number of jobs generated by the programme.

The Institute has also demanded greater transparency over the proposed US$10 billion New Economy programme announced by President John Dramani Mahama, arguing that government must demonstrate how the initiative will be funded, implemented and monitored before making further job creation commitments.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, October 27, IERPP Executive Director, Professor Isaac Boadi, said the inability of the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat to provide an overall job creation figure raised concerns about accountability and the assessment of the programme’s impact.

He cited a MyJoyOnline report published on October 19, 2026, in which the Secretariat’s Head of Strategy, Abdul-Nasser Suglo Alidu, acknowledged that he could not provide the total number of jobs created by the initiative.

“I won’t be able to give you a number in terms of the total number of jobs the 24-hour economy created,” Mr Alidu was quoted as saying.

Prof. Boadi said the admission was troubling given the scale of the government’s original commitment and the expectations the programme had generated among young people seeking employment.

On June 30, 2025, Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, announced plans to mobilise US$4 billion for the programme, while Mr Alidu disclosed a target of 1.7 million jobs on the same day. President Mahama subsequently launched the initiative on July 2, 2025.

IERPP said the government later announced in July 2026 that it had signed project agreements worth US$5.5 billion, expected to generate more than 160,000 jobs. However, Prof. Boadi argued that the value of signed agreements could not, on its own, establish how much money had been disbursed, how many projects had commenced or how many jobs had materialised.

He called for a comprehensive financing and implementation report detailing funds pledged, agreements signed, amounts disbursed, expenditure incurred and projects completed. The report, he said, should enable the public to distinguish between projected employment, jobs linked to approved projects and positions already created.

The Institute also raised questions about the figures allocated to the 24-Hour Economy in the 2026 Budget, pointing to what it described as an inconsistency between the detailed budget tables and the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech.

According to Prof. Boadi, the detailed table presented by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson provides GH¢90 million for the programme, comprising GH¢70 million for goods and services and GH¢20 million for capital expenditure. He said the Budget Speech, however, cites GH¢110 million for the same initiative.

“How can government be trusted with US$10 billion when it cannot reconcile GH¢90 million and GH¢110 million in its own budget?” he asked.

The Institute argued that the discrepancy needed to be explained to establish the actual allocation and clarify how the funds were expected to support implementation.

Prof. Boadi also questioned the proposed US$10 billion New Economy programme announced by President Mahama on August 14, 2026. He said US$5 billion had been earmarked for agriculture and agro-processing, but raised concerns about the absence of publicly outlined financing arrangements, investment criteria and accountability mechanisms.

IERPP wants the government to publish a detailed financing framework for the New Economy programme, including its sectoral allocations, investment criteria, implementation timetable and accountability arrangements.

It is also demanding the publication of verifiable employment figures under the 24-Hour Economy initiative, a reconciliation of the budget figures and the establishment of a publicly accessible dashboard showing project progress and job creation, supported by independent audits.

For the Institute, the central issue is whether the programmes are translating into measurable employment opportunities for Ghanaians, rather than remaining commitments announced at official events.

“This is about jobs for young people in Kumasi, Tamale and Volta. Not just headlines,” Prof. Boadi stressed.

The concerns place renewed attention on the need for transparent reporting on major government employment initiatives, particularly where job creation targets and large investment commitments have been presented as central to the country’s economic transformation agenda.