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The CEO of Menzgold Ghana Limited, Nana Appiah Mensah
The CEO of Menzgold Ghana Limited, Nana Appiah Mensah

NAM 1: The serial award winner now a fugitive?

The CEO of Menzgold Ghana Limited, Nana Appiah Mensah is currently the most wanted man in the country but before his run-in with the law, he was much more sought after by award organisers.

He was a regular at award shows, often appearing in exquisite tuxedos under bright lights, deliver acceptance speeches and receive glittering trophies.

But why was the private-jet flying CEO such a favourite of award organisers in Ghana and beyond, despite the fact that some industry regulators including the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) had issued public notices as early as 2016 that his Menzgold company was in breach of the law as a result of business practices?

Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM 1 shot to prominence in 2017 with his Zylofon Media Company Limited after his association with Ghana's creative arts industry and the Ghana Premier League.

He subsequently signed some musicians and actors onto his Zylofon Media record label including Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, Becca, Kumi Guitar and Joyce Blessing, all musicians, along with the actor Toosweet Annan and the actress Benedicta Gafah.

Before venturing into the entertainment industry with Zylofon Media Company 0Limited, NAM 1 had operated a gold dealership firm, Menzgold Ghana Limited.

NAM 1 after his foray became a regular fixture at entertainment industry events and was at the front-row of shows and pageants.

Indeed, he was heralded by some as the saviour of the entertainment industry for the volume of his investments in the sector after signing two of the biggest musicians on the local scene to his record label.

Some awards won by NAM1

  • Special Recognition Award for Business Innovation at the Exclusive Men Of The Year Africa Awards 2017.
  • 4syte Music Video Awards 2017 - Lifetime Achievement Award.
  • Business Category - 50 Most Influential Young Ghanaians.
  • Special Award - 2018 Radio and Television Personality (RTP) Awards.
  • 100 Most Influential Young Persons in Africa by the Confederation of West African Youth (CWAY) in July 2018.
  • 8th Ghana Entrepreneur and Corporate Executive Awards in April 2018 - Best Business Executive of the Year.
  • November 2018 - Special Award at the Ghana Music Awards South Africa.
  • 2nd Most Influential Entertainment Personality in Ghana for 2018.

After venturing into sports by acquiring lower-tier Star Madrid FC, NAM 1 through one of his companies Zylofon Cash signed a five-year deal worth $10 million to become the headline sponsors of the Ghana Premier League in May 2018.

In August 2017, in one of his countless acts of apparent generosity, he casually splurged $10,000 on veteran highlife musician Jewel Ackah, who at the time was ill.

Then the awards started flowing in.

One of the first major awards he won was a Special Recognition Award for Business Innovation at the Exclusive Men Of The Year Africa Awards (EMY AFRICA) in June 2017. The EMY Africa award organised by Exclusive Men’s Magazine, Carbon AV and Mediaspace Cyber Media also named Mr Kwabena Dufuor, Chairman of the Hoda Group and Dr Mrs Ellen Hagan, CEO of L'aine Services as Ultimate Man of the Year and Ultimate Woman of the Year respectively.

An avalanche of awards appeared to have been triggered by this honour as NAM 1 headed to the Accra International Conference Center (AICC) for the 4syte Music Video Awards 2017 where he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award as Zylofon Media CEO. Another Lifetime Achievement Award followed in December 2017 at the BASS Awards in Ghana.

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His influence in Ghana was recognised in December 2017 by Avance Media who named him in the Business Category of a list of the 50 Most Influential Young Ghanaians.

In October 2018, he was honoured at the 2018 Radio and Television Personality (RTP) Awards alongside Dr Ofori Sarpong of Despite Group but not before he had been named among the 100 Most Influential Young Persons in Africa by the Confederation of West African Youth (CWAY) in July 2018.

The soft-spoken CEO was at the podium again, this time at the 8th Ghana Entrepreneur and Corporate Executive Awards in April 2018 where he was adjudged the Best Business Executive of the Year.

The last two awards he received were in November 2018, when he was honoured with a Special Award at the Ghana Music Awards South Africa before popping up second on a list of the Most Influential Entertainment Personality in Ghana for 2018 behind the Chief Executive Officer of EiB Network, Kwabena Adisi known as ‘Bola Ray’.

NAM 1 is currently wanted by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to answer charges including money laundering, defrauding by false pretences, among others, while officers of the Economic and Organised Crime Office, are also on his trail.

The CID has also triggered International Police (INTERPOL) processes in 194 countries for Nana Appiah’s arrest.

He is suspected to be in either Nigeria or South Africa.

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