Accra, 6th February, 2026: Ernest Chemists Ltd (ECL) held a grand media event to launch its 40th Anniversary Celebrations in Accra on Friday, February 6, 2026.
The launch was performed by Dr Hafez Adam Taher, Director, Technical Coordination, Ministry of Health on behalf of the Minister of Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and attended by key stakeholders from the regulatory, industry associations, and the media. Also in attendance were the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Ernest Bediako Sampong, Chief Executive Officer, Adjoa Akyema Sampong, other Directors, Management and staff of ECL.
The highlight of the launch was the grand unveiling of the 40th anniversary logo which was jointly performed by Dr. Taher, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the CEO, directors and heads of some regulatory institutions.
Launching the anniversary, Hon. Mintah Akandoh whose speech was read on his behalf by Dr. Taher, acknowledged the impact that ECL has had not only on the pharmaceutical industry but on the economy of Ghana as a whole.
He lauded the company for living up to its brand promise of providing quality and affordable medicines, adding that the action demonstrated by the founder of Ernest Chemists gives the country hope that with the right leadership Ghana can be among the best in the manufacture of quality pharmaceutical products.
According to him, but for the role played by the founder of ECL, Mr. Ernest Bediako Sampong in mentoring and supporting indigenous companies to actively participate in the pharmaceutical industry, Ghana’s pharmaceutical industry would have been largely dominated by foreign players.
He also urged the company to pursue a vigorous expansion beyond Ghana to support government’s programme of making Ghana the hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa.
The Minister commended Ernest Chemists Ltd for constructing the soon to be commissioned State-of-the-Art GMP Factory, the first of its kind in Ghana, stating that Government is committed to supporting its operationalization.
Delivering her speech, the CEO of Ernest Chemists Ltd, Adjoa Akyema Sampong, traced the history of the company, stating that through dedication, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, the company has grown to become a market leader with 50 wholesale and retail outlets, as well as manufacturing and warehousing facilities across the country. She said the company also has presence in other Africa countries, including Nigeria, Siera Leone, Liberia and the Gambia where they currently export some of their products, guided by its core principles and brand promise to provide quality and affordable medicines.
As a wholly Ghanaian-owned company, she said the contribution of ECL to national development spans several sectors, one of its most significant impacts being the creation of over 1500 direct jobs to Ghanaians.
On the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility, Ms Sampong stressed that the company has consistently supported individuals and institutions across the country through donations and sponsorships, as well as its retail outlets providing free health services, including blood pressure checks, rapid diagnostic test, weight, BMI measurements, and health counselling.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, our outlets distributed free immune boosting supplements as part of our contribution to the national effort to combat the disease. Our factory also produced the Nester Sanitizer and rubbing alcohol, a major intervention in the management of COVID 19. Our contribution to the fight against COVID 19 attracted national recognition as we received a presidential Award of Honor for Distinguished Service for our contribution to the country’s fight against the pandemic,” she added.
She paid glowing tribute to the Founder and Chairman for being instrumental in the development of a thriving pharmaceutical industry in Ghana, using his vision and leadership to inspire many entrepreneurs to venture into the pharmaceutical space, thereby contributing to the growth of the industry as a whole.
Giving an overview of the company, the General Manager, Manufacturing of ECL Nana Yaw Nyarko-Sefah indicated that the company has three divisions, namely the wholesale and retail, manufacturing and exports.
He said the company ECL has the largest pharmaceutical chain in Ghana with 25 retail and 25 wholesale outlets.
“Our ultra-modern pharmacies serve as a one stop shop and offer a wide range of pharmaceutical products as well as consumer products” he added.
According to him, the manufacturing division currently produces more than 200 different finished pharmaceutical products for the Ghanaian and West African markets with dosage forms including tablets, capsules, powders as dry powder for suspension or in sachets, oral and non-oral liquids, ointments and creams.
Mr. Nyarko-Sefah stated that the company will soon commission its new Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliant factory. This factory, he explained will manufacture syrups and suspensions and infusions in the first phase and the second phase will manufacture oral solid dosage forms like tablets, capsules and sachets.
After the launch, a picture exhibition tracing the history of the company and its key milestones was showcased.
The theme for the anniversary is 40 years of providing quality and affordable medicines.
Some of the activities lined up for the year-long celebration include social and health-related projects, aimed at supporting customers, communities, and staff. There will also be the commissioning of a state-of-the-art Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) factory by the company, the first of its kind in Ghana.
Note to Editors
Ernest Chemists Ltd commenced operations in 1986 as a sole proprietorship and in 1993 became a limited liability. The company is the brainchild of Mr. Ernest Bediako Sampong, a pharmacist. The company has three main divisions, namely Manufacturing, Wholesaling and Retailing, and Exports. Through the inspiration of Mr. Sampong, a chain of pharmaceutical companies have been established. They include Bedita Pharmacy Ltd, Pills and Taps Pharmacy, East Cantonments Pharmacy Ltd, Jebina Pharmacy, Abed Pharmacy, Ebenezer Chemists, Big Maron Pharmacy Ltd, Bibs Pharmacy, Hovid Pharmacy, Media Pharmacy, Medimart Pharmacy, Kent Pharmacy, Renie Chemists, Charps Chemists, Nungua Pharmacy.