Development economist Dr. Hayford Mensah Ayerakwa has called for a major rethink of Ghana’s work culture, urging organisations to embrace remote and hybrid work as a way of easing traffic congestion and improving productivity.
Speaking on Good Afternoon Ghana on Metro TV on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Dr. Ayerakwa said the daily struggle of commuting is costing workers their health, time, and efficiency.
“People leave home very early, get stuck in traffic, get to work late. After work, it’s another hassle of getting home,” host Desmond Okraku Danso noted during the discussion.
According to Dr. Ayerakwa, one major reason for the congestion is Ghana’s continued attachment to the traditional 8am-5pm office routine.
“We have been socialised and oriented that we have to do the 8 to 5 routine work. I think we’ve gone past that system,” he said.
The economist argued that allowing workers to stay home for at least two days a week could significantly reduce pressure on the roads.
“Let’s invest in digital skills so that people can work remotely at least twice in a week,” he urged.
He said the COVID-19 period had already shown that many jobs could be done effectively outside the office.
“People were home and work was still getting done,” he recalled.
For him, the main requirement is basic training and tools.
“You need smart devices and the skill to operate them, but they are basic. As long as you can use a smartphone, training you for remote work shouldn’t be difficult,” he said.
Dr. Ayerakwa said remote work would only succeed if organisations change how they supervise staff.
“Our supervisors must be reoriented,” he said.
Instead of checking whether workers are physically present, managers should focus on agreed targets.
“We meet, agree on the deliverables, and your job is to deliver on that task,” he explained.
He criticised the culture of equating presence with productivity.
“As long as people show up in the office, we think that they are working. But unfortunately, that is not work,” he said.
“Work is about the deliverables. What are we supposed to achieve and are we achieving that?”
According to the economist, flexible work arrangements would benefit both employees and employers.
“People will have extra time, enjoy more family life, eat healthy, sleep more, and be more productive,” he said.
He added that companies would also cut costs.
“They will save on utilities, bills, and transport, and make more returns,” he noted.
Dr. Ayerakwa believes these savings could be used to support staff and improve working conditions.
He also questioned why most workers must travel to city centres at the same time every morning.
“Why should everybody be heading to the city centre about the same time?” he asked.
According to him, remote and hybrid work could spread out commuting patterns and reduce peak-hour congestion.
He suggested that workers could come to the office once or twice a week when necessary.
“We can decide that two or three days in a week, we work remotely. Then once in a while, we come back to the office,” he said.
Dr. Ayerakwa said Ghana must move away from rigid work systems if it wants to deal with traffic and low productivity.
“We are too rigid when it comes to what work is,” he said.
He maintained that embracing remote work is not just about convenience, but about national development.
“If we get this right, people will be healthier, companies will do better, and everybody wins in the long run,” he added.
He urged both public and private institutions to seriously consider hybrid work models as part of the solution to congestion, stress, and lost productivity.
“Others have done it. We should be able to adopt it and make it work here,” he said.
