The structural transition toward a round-the-clock industrial landscape in Ghana has reached a regulatory milestone with the recent signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the 24-Hour Economy Authority and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
According to the 24-Hour Economy Authority, this agreement is to synchronize the downstream petroleum sector with the broader 24H+ Accelerated Export Development Programme, ensuring that energy distribution keeps pace with the growing demands of agro-processing, manufacturing, and national logistics corridors.
“Under the MoU, the NPA will develop and enforce 24-hour operational readiness standards covering lighting, security, staffing protocols, digital fuel monitoring, and fire safety across fuel stations, refineries, bulk storage depots, and bulk road vehicle operations.
“The 24-Hour Economy Authority will coordinate the enabling environment, including security agency deployment and cross-government support for certified operators”
24-Hour Economy Authority
By establishing a rigorous framework for “operational readiness,” the partnership seeks to eliminate the logistical challenges that have historically restricted industrial activity to daylight hours. The MoU represents a significant shift in the NPA’s regulatory mandate, moving the authority beyond price monitoring and into the realm of industrial transformation.
Under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, Esq., the NPA will now develop and enforce the suite of 24-hour standards to provide a regulated, safe, and predictable environment where businesses can operate with the same efficiency at “02:00 GMT as they do at noon.”
One of the most critical elements of the partnership is the immediate focus on security coordination. For the Ghanaian private sector, the primary deterrent to night-time operations has long been the perceived risk to personnel and assets.
To mitigate this, the 24-Hour Economy Authority, led by its Chief Programme Officer, Mr. Abdul-Nasser Alidu, will coordinate with the Ghana Police Service and the National Security Secretariat to provide an “enabling environment,” for certified operators.
This security-first approach is intended to provide the psychological and physical safety net required for oil marketing companies and tanker drivers to commit to extended shifts.
Implementation is set to begin with a nationwide pilot covering approximately 10% of the downstream sector. This phased rollout allows the NPA to test the efficacy of its new standards before a full-scale national deployment. A steering committee and technical sub-committees have been constituted by the authorities to ensure that the transition is data-driven and inclusive of all major industry players.
The pilot will serve as a laboratory for identifying potential friction points in the supply chain, particularly regarding the coordination of tanker movements and the management of bulk storage depots during off-peak hours.
Building Capacity
The logic of the 24-Hour Economy is often misunderstood as a mere extension of closing times. However, as noted by Mr. Augustus Goosie Tanoh, Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy, the program is fundamentally about building industrial capacity that generates its own demand.
The MoU with the NPA ensures that as factories in Tema or traders in Tamale scale their operations, the fuel and energy required to power that growth are available without interruption. This synergy between energy supply and industrial demand is a cornerstone of the government’s economic transformation strategy.
The Authority noted that the partnership brings together a formidable coalition of stakeholders, including the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC), the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD), and BOST Energies.
Crucially, the inclusion of the Ghana National Tanker Drivers Union (GNTDU) and the Tanker Owners Union (TOU) indicates that the human element of the petroleum sector is being prioritized. For a 24-hour cycle to be sustainable, it must account for the welfare, safety, and logistical coordination of the drivers who form the backbone of the distribution network.
“We are building the enterprises and industrial capacity that will create growing demand for these services.
“To the factory owner in Tema, the trader in Tamale, the transport operator on the Accra-Kumasi corridor, the message is simple. If you are ready to grow, we are building the system to support you”
Mr. Augustus Goosie Tanoh, Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy
A key technical highlight of the MoU is the emphasis on digital fuel monitoring. In an expanded 24-hour market, the risk of leakage, adulteration, or unauthorized siphoning increases if manual oversight remains the norm, but mandating digital standards introduces a level of transparency that protects both the consumer and the state’s revenue.
This digital-first approach aligns with the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) goals of maximizing tax compliance within the petroleum sector, ensuring that every drop of fuel distributed under the 24H+ banner is accounted for in real-time.
The institutional collaboration will also extend to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and Ghana Petroleum Mooring Systems (GPMS) – entities that are vital for the “logistics corridors,” that the 24-Hour Economy Authority aims to build.
Ensuring that mooring systems and port facilities are synchronized with the downstream distribution network, creates a seamless “ship-to-pump” cycle essential for reducing the “demurrage” costs that often plague the petroleum industry, ultimately lowering the cost of doing business for the end-user.
For Ghana, the MoU between the 24-Hour Economy Authority and the NPA is more than a regulatory agreement. It signals to private sector investors that the government is serious about providing the infrastructure and security necessary for a modernized economy.
As the 10% pilot begins, the eyes of the Ghanaian business community will be on the NPA to see how these standards translate into operational reality. Successful, this partnership will serve as a blueprint for other sectors – such as retail, healthcare, and banking – to follow.
By securing the energy supply chain first, the Mahama administration is providing the literal fuel required for the national economic reset.
The road to a 24-hour economy is complex and fraught with logistical challenges, but with a unified regulatory and security framework in place, Ghana is better positioned than ever to transition from a daylight-dependent market to a 24/7 industrial powerhouse.
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