The Rhythm That Never Sleeps: How Vui’s Sacred Drums Beat to Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy

VUI, KETA — When national conversations turn to the proposed 24-Hour Economy strategy, minds naturally gravitate toward urban shift-work factories, round-the-clock digital banking, and late-night transport hubs. Critics and supporters alike argue extensively over the feasibility of a continuous, day-and-night production schedule across Ghana’s districts.

Yet, tucked away in Vui, a coastal community just a stone's throw from the historic town of Keta in the Volta Region, a truly continuous 24-hour cycle is already in full bloom. It does not run on corporate tax incentives or new legislation. Instead, it runs on the raw, unyielding power of traditional Ewe spiritual drumming and the relentless grip of the local fishing industry.

Six Days, Six Nights, No End in Sight

For the past six days of my visit, the atmospheric landscape of Vui has been dominated by a singular, hypnotic force: the unbroken pulse of master drums. While modern urbanites might view a 24-hour cycle through the lens of corporate exhaustion, here, the continuous shift rotation is a sacred art form.

This isn't a performance staged for tourists or a fleeting weekend festival. This is the authentic, deep-rooted ritual of a traditional spiritual society. In these sacred spaces, music is an unbroken bridge to the ancestral realm. As one group of drummers and dancers tires under the sky, another seamless shift takes over. The drums do not stop. The rattles maintain their pace. The iron bells slice through the coastal air without any end in sight.

From the Sacred Shrines to the Chilly Shoreline

This relentless night-and-day momentum is not confined to the shrines. It bleeds directly into the economic lifelines of the community at the crack of dawn.

Walking down to Xekpa beach in the early morning air, the heavy, hypnotic thud of the distant drums still echoes across the sand. On this morning, the weather is dull, chilly, and a steady drizzle dampens the coast. But as the grey light breaks over the Atlantic, a different kind of shift begins. Out on the choppy shoreline, four traditional canoes cut through the mist.

In each boat, three young fishermen—the next generation of Vui's economic engine—brave the rough surf. With the loud, mechanical roar of their outboard motors competing against the distant spiritual drums, these youngsters steer their crafts directly into the deep sea for the day’s catch.

It is a striking visual: while the spiritual world has kept watch all night through music, the economic world takes the baton under a cold morning sky.

100% Unanimous Support—With a Critical Condition

While the endless ritual showcases the community's natural capacity for 24-hour endurance, what do the locals actually think about the formal policy? Surprisingly, there is 100% unanimous support for the 24-Hour Economy concept among the townspeople. They see the immense potential it has to transform their coastal economy and create sustainable futures for the youth.

However, their support comes with a heavy, urgent reality check.

The main grievance from these passionate supporters stems from the erratic power supply. Frequent power outages have crippled local agriculture, making irrigation an exhausting, uphill battle. Local farmers, who rely heavily on electric water pumps to nurse and sustain their vast vegetable beds, are deeply frustrated. Without stable electricity, watering their commercial crops of tomatoes, onions, okro and carrots becomes nearly impossible. For them, a 24-hour economy is a brilliant goal, but it cannot be fully realized if they cannot even power their farms during the day.

The Cultural Blueprint for Continuous Work

There is a poetic irony in watching this happen against the backdrop of contemporary Ghanaian politics. While policymakers and macroeconomists split hairs over how to incentivize businesses to operate late-night shifts, Vui’s traditional custodians and artisanal fishermen have been executing a flawless 24-hour operation for centuries.

The spiritual devotion of the drummers coupled with the grit of the young fishermen shows that round-the-clock systems are not foreign to the Ghanaian psyche. The stamina, communal organization, and shift-sharing required to keep a ritual vibrant for nearly a week—and to launch small boats into a volatile ocean at dawn—represents the very essence of human resource management.

Bridging Tradition and Modernity

The creative, agricultural, and blue economy sectors in places like Vui are already working overtime. Tourism, agricultural production, and cultural heritage are naturally positioned to feed into a nationwide economic transformation—but only if the foundational infrastructure is secured first.

For a visitor spending six days listening to this beautiful, relentless acoustic wave while watching young hands conquer the sea under a grey drizzle, it becomes clear: the 24-hour economy is already alive, breathing, and beating proudly in Vui. But for it to reach its full economic potential, the grid must be stabilized to keep the lights on for the farmers who feed the nation.

Join the Debate in the Comments Below!

What do you think? Can a 24-Hour Economy truly succeed if basic farming infrastructure, stable electricity, and irrigation support for our vegetable farmers are still lacking? Should the government prioritize fixing stable utilities for local agriculture as the foundation for this national day-and-night economy?

Share your thoughts below—let's discuss!

✍️ Retired Senior Citizen
For and on behalf of all Senior Citizens of the Republic of Ghana 🇬🇭

📍 Teshie-Nungua
📧 [email protected]