The former National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has said that every nation that sleeps becomes a poor country.

Speaking on Star Chat with Bola Ray, the former National Chairman stated that the NDC has learned from other developed nations and would implement a 24-hour economy to propel Ghana’s economy.

“It is very simple. You see, any nation that sleeps becomes a poor country. Any nation that sleeps becomes a poor country,” Dr. Ampofo stated.

According to him, Ghana has been going through hardship for decades now because the nation lacks some economic policies such as a 24-hour economy.

“We are poor because we sleep. We work eight hours and we sleep, we sleep. The whole night everybody is sleeping. And when you sleep as a nation, you become a poor country.

“That is why society is progressive. And so you move from one level to another level, and another level, and another level. The more your economy is growing, the more you are expanding your economy, and the more you have enough power in excess to be able to generate more industries and employment, the more you are expanding.

“You don’t have to sleep. You don’t have to sleep because, look, in the whole world, America doesn’t sleep, the UK doesn’t sleep, Germany doesn’t sleep, China doesn’t sleep, India doesn’t sleep. Africa, we are sleeping. That’s why Africa is poor.”

The 24-hour economy will be mainly anchored on the National Democratic Congress flagbearer, John Mahama’s overarching vision to create sustainable jobs for Ghanaians.

This will be achieved through his agenda to: modernize and mechanize agriculture; provide incentives for the private sector to thrive; promote agro-processing and manufacturing; and transform Ghana into an import substitution and export-led economy, among others.