Creative industry has 'long practised, tasted' 24-hour economy - Okraku-Mantey

The Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC), Mark Okraku-Mantey, has asserted that players in the creative industry have long functioned in a 24-hour economy.

He said this today, Thursday, December 14, 2023, at the announcement of the Gyankroma Akufo-Addo-led Creative Arts Agency's Play Ghana Initiative, aimed at increasing the showcase of local arts content by media, disk jockeys, nightclubs, etc, till Ghanaian content is overwhelmingly prioritised and patronised.

Addressing his audience consisting executives and players in Ghana's arts and culture space and the media, at the Ministry of Information, he observed, when music executive Smallgod, rapper Reggie Rockstone, DJ Mensah, Samini, and Black Sherif "came up stage, I heard you say that you're not morning people".

Okraku-Mantey said, hearing the aforementioned, "something came to mind".

"I said, the creative industry has practised the 24-hour economy [since] a long [time] ago.

"Most of the things happen in the night. Day time. So the creative industry has been in the 24-hour [economy]," he explained.

Based on this, the record producer, and music and media executive emphasised creatives "must establish that you tasted the 24-hour economy [a] long [time] ago".

Mark Okraku-Mantey was reacting to comments recently made by former President John Dramani Mahama.

Seeking a comeback to power in the 2024 elections, flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahama, has proposed a well-oiled 24-hour economy to bouy Ghana's ailing fiscal health and further propel it into abundant productivity.

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also the Vice President, just like Okraku-Mantey, has argued Mahama's proposal is not as novel as he would like the electorate to believe.

Bawumia said his digitalisation drive, evidenced by the Ghana Card, and also the operations of institutions like hospitals which are open around the clock shows the country has long had a feel of a 24-hour economy.