Why MAKE24 will not succeed unless Ghanaians are ready to buy what Ghana makes.

The promise — and the catch
The 24-Hour Economy is one of the most ambitious projects this country has tried in a generation.

More jobs. More factories running through the night. Less pressure on the cedi because we stop importing everything from rice to wax print.

On paper, it is exactly the kind of reset Ghana needs.

But there is a quiet catch that does not show up in any policy document — and it is not the government's fault. It is ours.

Ghana imports almost everything — and MAKE24 wants to fix that
Look at the numbers from the programme's own executive summary.

In 2024 alone, Ghana imported about US$ 2 billion worth of food. Manufacturing contributes less than 12% of our GDP, and our factories run at only about 42 to 46% of what they are capable of producing — far below the 85% target.

Ghanaian manufacturers sell roughly 90% of their products at home, and only 25% of them export at all.

MAKE24, the manufacturing pillar of the 24-Hour Economy, is built precisely to fix this: to produce locally what we currently buy from outside, create jobs, and keep our money circulating here.

But will we actually buy what Ghana makes?

Here is where the catch shows up. Ghanaians do not buy goods only for what they do — we buy them for what they say about us. An imported juice or drink on the table at a wedding. A Dutch wax print (Aburokyire ntoma) at a funeral.

A foreign label on a child's school bag. These things signal status. The local version may be just as good, sometimes better, but it often carries a quieter, less prestigious story. Ekumfi pineapple juice still loses out to Don Simon at many middle-class events.

Akosombo Textiles is too often treated as the everyday cloth, while Aburokyire ntoma ("Hollandais") is reserved for the big occasion. And here is the twist economists do not say loudly enough: as incomes rise — which is exactly what the 24-Hour Economy promises — Ghanaians will likely buy more of the prestige imports, not less. New factories could end up producing for shelves that do not move.

Tariffs are not the answer
The first instinct will be to slap tariffs on imports to make them expensive.

That is a blunt tool. It punishes consumers, fuels smuggling, strains our trade relationships, and — worst of all — does nothing to change the belief that imported is better.

We need to win the consumer's mind, not just their wallet.

Three things government can actually do

First, do the consumer research before the factory is built.

For every product MAKE24 wants to localise, we should know in advance whether Ghanaians will see it as a real substitute or as a downgrade.

Production should follow evidence, not assumption.

Second, manufacture prestige, not just products. Ghanaian consumers respond powerfully to what public figures wear, drink, and carry.

Look at kente — still vibrant globally because the Asantehene wears it at major functions.

More recently, Ghana's Ambassador to the United States, Amb. Victor Smith wore kente when he was introduced to President Donald Trump, and the image travelled the world.

Look at the Smock (Fugu) — when President Mahama wore the Fugu on a state visit to Zambia, the curiosity it caused abroad sparked national pride at home, and the Minister of Tourism eventually declared a National Smock Day.

Look at Kalypo — a few campaign-trail photos of then-flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo holding the drink in 2016 sent demand through the roof. Government appointees, ministers, and influencers should be deliberately tied to Made-in-Ghana products in every public appearance. Prestige can be built; we have done it before.

Third, invest in branding, certification and the story behind the product. Packaging, traceability, quality marks — these are the small signals that tell a sceptical consumer, "this is good, and it is ours."

The bottom line

The 24-Hour Economy will not live or die in the factories.

It will live or die at the till — when the Ghanaian consumer chooses between the imported juice and the local one, the foreign cloth and the Akosombo print.

Build the factories, yes. But also build the prestige. Otherwise, MAKE24 will produce, and we will keep importing — quietly, faithfully, and at our own cost.

About the Author.

Dr. Godwin Nutsugah is a development economist whose research spans across consumer demand modeling, household-level economics and quantitative economics. He is currently a consultant at IFPRI.