President John Dramani Mahama has launched construction of a 24-hour market in Bimbilla in the Northern Region, advancing a nationwide programme to build commercial hubs across all 261 districts as part of his government’s flagship economic agenda.
The Bimbilla sod-cutting is part of the second leg of the President’s nationwide Resetting Ghana Tour, which follows an earlier stop in the Bono Region and is designed to allow citizens and traditional leaders to engage directly with the President on policy implementation and development projects.
Speaking at the ceremony on Saturday, April 18, Mahama framed the market programme as a direct fulfilment of an election commitment. “Today we are here in fulfillment of a promise we made during the campaign of 2024 and the manifesto of NDC that we presented for the election of 2024,” he said.
The President said markets are central to stimulating economic activity, particularly in agricultural zones. “One of the major ways to stimulate economic activity and to circulate money in the economy is to build markets,” he said, adding that the Bimbilla facility would serve as a critical link between farm production, households and retail trade.
The Northern Regional Minister, representing the President at an earlier stage of the ceremony, described the project as a flagship intervention under the 24-hour economy policy, aimed at stimulating inclusive growth and expanding opportunities for traders, artisans and entrepreneurs. The market complex is to be equipped with facilities including a clinic, school, car parks and a police station.
Mahama said the Bimbilla facility would be one of the largest model markets in the north, reflecting the area’s role as a significant producer of yams, maize, beans and groundnuts. The complex will include 10 large warehouses to improve storage and reduce post-harvest losses, alongside financial services, security and healthcare facilities to support extended trading hours.
“This market is going to be there for hundreds of years. Our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren will come and do business in this market,” he said, urging contractors to maintain high construction standards.
Beyond trade, the President said the facility would generate administrative and operational jobs to support round-the-clock activity. He also updated the public on the government’s broader infrastructure drive, noting that nearly 2,000 kilometres of roads are currently under construction, supported by approximately GH¢50 billion in funding.
Mahama also used the occasion to address public debate about vehicles deployed under the government’s primary healthcare programme. “Those tricycles are not ambulances,” he said. “They are vehicles for health workers engaged in the primary healthcare program to go to the village, deliver vaccinations, and also to do health screening.”
The 24-hour market initiative covers all 261 districts and is designed to modernise local commerce, featuring banking services, cold storage, daycare centres, police and fire posts, and clinics, as part of a broader agenda to stimulate trade and deliver tangible benefits to communities across Ghana.
