‘Knowing Christ has been my secret’ — DANADAMS CEO

But for the generosity of the late Mrs Efua Sarpong, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the DANADAMS Group of Companies Dr Yaw Adu Gyamfi would have easily joined the league of brilliant needy school dropouts in the system.

Dr Gyamfi, whose entrepreneurial acumen has served as a source of livelihood to over 250 people, wrote and passed the then common entrance exam on four consecutive times but could not proceed to the next level because his mother with nine boys could not fund the cost of his entry into the secondary school.

But that was not strange, said Dr Gyamfi, who reminisced his tough childhood days to the GRAPHIC BUSINESS amidst smiles.

"My mother had nine boys of which I am the eldest. Things were difficult for us and that was obvious because she had to take care of all of us; our education, feeding and the rest and that wasn't easy," he recollected.

That consequently delayed, but not denied, his progress by some four good years within which his mother, the eight brothers and himself continued to aspire while hoping that a window of opportunity would open for them one day.

It was frustrating as well as discouraging, admits Dr Gyamfi, whose DANADAMS Pharmaceuticals currently exports drugs to six West African countries.

But God's ways are not the ways of men. Therefore, when Dr Gyamfi started giving up amidst anguish, God sent a benefactor in the person of Mrs Sarpong.

Mrs Sarpong, who was a friend to Dr Gyamfi's late mother, Maame Abena Adansi, offered to take up the cost of his entry into the secondary school after he had passed the common entrance exam for the fourth time in 1970.

The arrival of that opportunity marked the beginning of the success story of Dr Gyamfi, pharmacist now turned entrepreneur.

"I wouldn't have been anybody today without those two women. They made me who I am and I will forever cherish them," Dr Gyamfi said graciously.

The two, he said have continued to be the pillar of his life and the inspirations behind the establishment of his first business, the Danpong Pharmacy, at Spintex in Accra.

The pharmacy gave birth to the DANADAMS Group of Companies, which now consist of six interrelated but separate establishments headquartered in Accra.

And to show his appreciation to and fond memories of her mother, Maame Adansi; and the friend, Mrs Sarpong; Dr Gyamfi named his Danpong Pharmacy after them.

“The 'Dan' in the name is for the Adansi and the 'pong' is for the Sarpong," DANADAMS's CEO said, bursting into laughter.

How to be successful

However tough Dr Gyamfi's childhood days at Odumase in the Brong Ahafo Region was, he said he would forever remain grateful to God Almighty for letting him go through it.

He explained that after successfully completing his secondary school, he got the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) scholarship to study pharmacy in the United States of America (USA).

Through God's intervention and the help of his Peace Corps teacher, Dr Gyamfi recollected that he was able to get to the states, completed the course and worked for some time before returning to Ghana to help in nation building.

"All these taught me one lesson; that I don't have anybody but myself and my God. So, whatever I do with my life depends entirely on me," he said.

As a result, he said he has grown to develop some deep-seated love for the word of God and Christ, His only son.

"If there's any secret about me, then it is knowing Christ. And what I have realised is that if you want to be successful in life, there must be something that you want to live for. In my case, that thing is Christ," Dr Gyamfi said.

Insight into DANADAMS

The DANADAMS Pharmaceuticals, the drug manufacturing and wholesale arm of the group, is not just one of the many pharmaceutical companies spread across Africa; It is among the few successful businesses in an originally enclave field founded and still owned solely by a Ghanaian.

The company is one of those few pharmaceutical companies that have successfully ventured into and thrived in a secluded field - the manufacturing and sale of drugs for infectious diseases in Africa.

It was founded in 2005 in furtherance to what Dr Gyamfi described as the need “to be a contributing leader among Africans who are taking charge of solving our continent's challenges.”

"The whole idea was to make quality medicine accessible and affordable to all Ghanaians," he added.

His DANADAMS Pharmaceuticals specialises in the manufacturing of anti-retrovirals, anti-malaria and antibiotics of which it distributes in Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso, La Cote d’Ivoire and the Gambia.

It is currently the only anti-retrovirals manufacturer in the country and one of the three in the West African subregion.

It has over 42 different drugs registered in the subregion and the area accounts for about 25 per cent of its turnover, the CEO said.

Performance

DANADAMS' total sales was about GH¢11.04 million in 2011 but rose to GH¢17.38 million in 2012, representing an increment of 36.5 per cent over the period.

Its net profit also rose to about GH¢3.12 million in 2012 from GH¢1.43 million the year beyond.

The company has also won several awards in and outside the country, the latest being a Platinum Award at this year's edition of the National Awards for Export Achievement held on September 27.

These are impressive and the CEO attributed it to the spirit of shared responsibility bursting in the company.

“Through my childhood experience, I have come to believe in giving people the opportunity and that has being how we overcome challenges here,” he said.

Future of DANADAMS

Currently, DANADAMS Pharmaceuticals is 100 per cent owned by Dr Gyamfi. However, he said the aim was now to list it on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE).

“That process has started and it will happen in the next three years,” he said.

He added that the company was also working at expanding its reach in the subregion from the current six countries to the entire ECOWAS area.

Views on industry

In Ghana, regulatory institutions have the discretion of when they should approve a request for validation of the products of local manufacturers under their watch. Ironically, the same does not apply to importers of those same products.

Dr Gyamfi sees this as a drawback to the growth of local businesses.  "That thing is really a bother because if it takes you that long to register the product, then how do you get to the market," he asked.

He thus called on the Food and Drugs Authority, which regulates the pharmaceutical industry, to streamline its operations and reduce the time used to register new inventions.

He also called on the authority to strengthen its operations such that it would be able to advise the players on what is good for the industry.

Personal

Dr Gyamfi is a former national council member of the Ghana Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (GPMA, a Board Chairman of the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company and a Commissioner at the Public Utility and Regulatory Commission (PURC), among others.

He is currently paying the school fees of 15 students, has supported six people to graduate in pharmacy from the university and is still yearning to torch the lives of many more people.

On who he is, the DANADAMS CEO said "I'm Dr Gyamfi from a small village in Odumase. I'm married with children, a Christian who fellowships at the Eternal Light Ministries and Perushian Presbyterian Church at Baatsona, Accra."

"My hobbies are praying, doing praises and worship and listening to good Christian music." I'm just an easy going guy who likes a simple life”.

By Maxwell Adombila Akalaare/Graphic Business/Ghana