Ghana’s push towards a 24-hour economy will require a workforce equipped with stronger digital, entrepreneurial and innovation skills if the policy is to translate into sustainable jobs and economic growth.
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) says the country must move beyond simply acquiring academic knowledge and focus on applying it to create businesses, technologies and productive economic opportunities.
The call was made at the 33rd Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) Summit in Accra, which brought together graduate students, academics and entrepreneurs to examine the role of knowledge and innovation in Ghana’s economic transformation.
Knowledge Must Create Opportunities
Speaking on behalf of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Director of Communications Bernard Ato Otabil said the success of the 24-hour economy would increasingly depend on Ghana’s human capital and ability to transform knowledge into practical solutions.
He stressed that having academic knowledge alone would not be enough.
“The question is no longer whether we have knowledge, but rather whether we can turn that knowledge into innovation, productive enterprises and sustainable economic growth opportunities,” he said.
The BoG therefore wants graduate education to place greater emphasis on innovation, entrepreneurship and practical problem-solving.
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Universities Urged to Move Beyond the Classroom
The Bank also encouraged graduate schools to evolve from institutions that mainly transmit knowledge into centres that create ideas, businesses and technological solutions.
Research findings, it said, should be made accessible and translated into products and services capable of solving real social and economic problems.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said the university was already expanding its entrepreneurship and innovation programmes through interdisciplinary research and collaboration with industry, government and communities.
She said more platforms were being created to help move ideas from conception into practical application.
AI and Automation Raise Job Concerns
GRASAG President at the University of Ghana, Sadick Abubakari, also drew attention to the changing nature of work as businesses increasingly adopt artificial intelligence and automation.
He warned that graduate students would need relevant technical and entrepreneurial skills to remain competitive as technology reshapes employment opportunities.
The summit was held under the theme “Beyond Graduate School, Curating Knowledge, Innovation and Entrepreneurial Skills in the 24-Hour Economy.”
Participants stressed that strengthening practical skills, innovation and entrepreneurship would be essential if Ghana’s 24-hour economy is to create sustainable opportunities beyond traditional employment.
SOURCE: MICHAEL EDUAH / ATLFMNEWSROOM
