The late Dr. Michael Agyekum Addo, founder of KAMA Group of Companies
The story of the late Dr. Michael Agyekum Addo, founder of KAMA Group of Companies, one of Ghana’s leading pharmaceutical companies, is a manifestation of the saying, "From humble beginnings come great things."
Dr. Agyekum Addo, at age 7 with no father and a very sick mother, had to shoulder some of the responsibilities of fending for himself and his two siblings.
The young Agyekum Addo had no option but to step into the shoes of his trading but ill mother to look after his two siblings.
“I took over the grocery business of my mother at Suhyen and ensured that whatever was sold while I was away at school was accounted for. I did this for nearly seven years,” he disclosed in an interview with Ghanaian Times.
The late founder of KAMA even had to go to school on credit when a philanthropist, who heard of his plight and got him admission at the Ghana Senior High School, Koforidua, died.
After the philanthropist died, Agyekum Addo reached a deal with the headmaster of Ghana Senior High School and was allowed to complete his education.
“He promised to pay my fees but could not do it because he lost his life in the 1966 coup. However, the headmaster granted me some concessions until I completed school.”
These challenges could have shattered his future aspirations but instead spurred him on to greatness.
Agyekum Addo, after completing his secondary education, got a teaching job that helped him clear his indebtedness at Ghana Senior High School.
In 1972, he was admitted to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology to study Pharmacy for five years.
He also obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Industrial Management in 1982 and a Master's in Industrial Management, specializing in entrepreneurship, in 1998.
Dr. Agyekum Addo established the KAMA Group in 1986, which he started as a small pharmaceutical shop in Kumasi.
Today, it has 16 subsidiaries, dealing in manufacturing, wholesale retail, real estate, and microfinance, among others, and employing hundreds of Ghanaians.
Dr. Michael Agyekum Addo was Chairman of the Pentecost University Council, a member of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and a member of the National Development Planning Commission.
He once served as the National President of the Ghana Red Cross Society and Chairman of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).
In 2005, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for his contributions to national development.
In 2022, he was among the 88 PhD graduates from the University of Ghana, a testament to his commitment to continuous learning and academic excellence.
Family:
Dr. Agyekum Addo had nine children with his late wife, whom he met in secondary school.
Three of them are pharmacists, and one is a medical officer. The others include a Master's Degree holder in International Tourism, an Architect, a BA Social Science holder, a BA Publishing holder, and the last is a level 200 student at the University of Ghana pursuing Computer Engineering.
About his death:
The Ghanaian entrepreneur and founder of the KAMA Group of Companies died at the age of 74.
According to asaaseradio.com, Addo passed away on Friday, November 1, 2024, leaving behind a legacy in the pharmaceutical and business sectors.
BAI/OGB
Watch the latest edition of BizTech below:
Copyright © 1994 - 2024 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
