Former President John Dramani Mahama has outlined an ambitious blueprint to transform Volta Lake and its surrounding areas into a cornerstone of Ghana’s upcoming 24-Hour Economy Policy, aiming to turn the vast water body into a thriving hub for agriculture, industry, fisheries, and transport.
Unveiling the initiative at a high-level stakeholder forum at Jubilee House on Wednesday, May 28, Mahama introduced the “Volta Economic Corridor” as a critical driver of Ghana’s next wave of industrialization — shifting the lake’s traditional role from hydroelectric power generation to a multi-sectoral economic engine.
“It’s time we go beyond hydropower and unlock the full economic potential of the Volta system,” Mahama stated. “Its strategic location and rich resources can fuel 24-hour productivity and balanced development across the country.”
Key Pillars of the Volta Economic Corridor:
- Reclaiming over 2 million hectares of lakeside land for large-scale agricultural projects
- Revitalizing the fisheries sector to meet domestic consumption and create export opportunities
- Establishing industrial parks along the lake to support food processing and essential goods manufacturing
- Transforming the lake into a national transport corridor, linking northern production zones to southern markets and ports — dramatically cutting logistics costs
- Incentivizing inland industrial development, relieving pressure on coastal cities and distributing economic activity more evenly across regions
To support the rollout, Mahama revealed plans for major investments in floating transport infrastructure, lake ports, and public-private partnerships — all overseen by a newly established 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, which will report directly to the Presidency.
The Draft Programme Document outlining the full plan will be released for public feedback on Tuesday, ahead of the official launch scheduled for Republic Day, July 1, 2025.
Mahama’s Volta initiative forms a central pillar of his broader strategy to build a resilient, inclusive, and round-the-clock economy — positioning Ghana as a regional leader in integrated development.
