President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to transform the Volta Lake and its basin into a key industrial hub under the government’s 24-hour economy policy. According to him, the Volta Lake has long played a critical role in powering Ghana through hydroelectricity, but its broader economic value remains largely untapped.
President Mahama positioned the “Volta Economic Corridor” as the anchor of the transformative 24-hour Economy Programme. “The time has come to move beyond hydropower and position the Volta system as the backbone of a new industrial Ghana,” he said.
The government plans to cultivate over 2 million hectares of arable lakeside land, revitalize the Lake’s fisheries potential for both local and export markets, and establish industrial parks along the Corridor to process agricultural goods and manufacture key industrial products.
To achieve this vision, the government will activate the Volta Lake as a fully functional transport highway, linking northern food production zones with southern markets and export terminals, dramatically reducing logistics costs. This will require investment in new floating transport assets, the construction of lake ports, and the creation of long-term public-private concession frameworks in partnership with the Volta River Authority (VRA).
The government will release the Draft Programme Document for public consultation, with the formal launch set for July 1, 2025, Ghana’s Republic Day. President Mahama has invited stakeholders to contribute to the finalisation of the programme and announced the establishment of the 24-hour Economy Secretariat as an independent authority reporting directly to the Presidency.
