Ghana has launched a pilot of 24-hour operations in the petroleum downstream sector, with the Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy, Augustus Goosie Obuodum Tanoh, describing the initiative as the cornerstone of a national productivity drive aimed at transforming how the country generates wealth and employment.
Speaking at the launch in Accra on Tuesday, May 12, Tanoh argued that Ghana’s economic constraints are not rooted in ambition but in productivity, pointing to factories operating well below installed capacity, farmers losing value due to absent processing infrastructure, and a national economy effectively running on a single shift in a world that operates around the clock.
He framed the petroleum downstream as the logical starting point, noting that fuel supply underpins every productive sector in the country, from agro-processing in Ashanti to manufacturing in Tema, cocoa logistics along the Eastern Corridor and cold chain transport to the ports.
“When a depot closes at six in the evening and the next loading slot is at eight in the morning, that is fourteen hours in which the productive economy above it cannot expand,” Tanoh said.
He added that the programme targets the absorption of the 310,000 young Ghanaians entering the labour market each year through paid, productive employment.
National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive Officer Godwin Edudzi Tameklo announced the rollout will proceed in phases, beginning with 268 fuel stations across Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Northern regions. Eight depots are included in the pilot, among them Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Depot in Kumasi, Africa Petroleum Depot (APD) in Tema and Ghanstock Depot in Takoradi, alongside two refineries, namely Tema Oil Refinery and Sentuo Oil Refinery.
Tameklo said modern technology for real-time monitoring and structured workforce systems will be central to the transition, with safety and security treated as non-negotiable. He confirmed that Inspector General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno has pledged full police support for the rollout, acknowledging that round-the-clock fuel operations require a reinforced security framework.
The phased approach, Tameklo said, will allow authorities to test systems, refine operational models and ensure the expansion remains efficient, safe and sustainable before scaling nationally.
