Hajia Alimatu Issahak Cites Okada Riders’ Three-Shift System in Defence of 24-Hour Economy Policy

A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Team, Hajia Alimatu Issahak, has cited the three-shift operating system used by commercial motorcycle riders, popularly known as okada riders, in her area as an example of how economic activities can continue beyond conventional working hours.

Her comment adds to the ongoing national debate over the government’s flagship 24-hour economy policy, which the NDC has presented as a strategy to increase productivity, create employment opportunities and strengthen Ghana’s economy.

Hajia Alimatu Issahak’s observation suggests that the idea of working in shifts is not entirely new to Ghana, as some informal-sector operators already organise their activities to serve customers at different times of the day.

Under a three-shift system, workers divide operating hours into separate periods, allowing services to continue for longer without requiring one individual to work throughout the day and night.

For commercial motorcycle riders, such an arrangement could enable different operators to use the same business resources at different times, while ensuring that commuters have access to transport beyond regular daytime hours.

The NDC’s proposed 24-hour economy seeks to encourage businesses and selected sectors to operate around the clock, with the broader goal of boosting production, supporting local industries and creating jobs.

However, party communicators have stressed that the policy requires more than extending working hours. Reliable electricity, adequate transport, access to financing, public security and suitable infrastructure are among the conditions considered necessary for its effective implementation.

The policy has attracted both support and criticism, with the opposition New Patriotic Party questioning its feasibility and demanding clearer evidence of how it will translate into jobs and improved living conditions.

The government’s approach also involves formalising economic activities in sectors such as commercial motorcycle transport. Ghana’s Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025, and Road Traffic Regulations, 2026, provide a legal framework for commercial motorcycle operations, alongside requirements relating to licensing, safety and regulatory oversight.

The National Road Safety Authority has announced plans to register eligible transport unions and companies from November 2026 as part of efforts to formalise the sector.

Although the three-shift arrangement described by Hajia Alimatu Issahak illustrates how some operators organise their work, its existence alone does not establish that the wider 24-hour economy policy has been fully implemented.

The government will ultimately be judged on whether its plans can expand such arrangements across productive sectors, generate sustainable employment and improve the availability of goods and services throughout the day and night.

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