Prof. Sampson Effah Apraku began his entrepreneurial journey years ago and is currently the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Samara Company Limited. He has considerable experience in business development, marketing, general management, strategic planning, and possesses strong leadership skills.

Prof. Apraku was honoured with an Honorary Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, from the Alfred Nobel University in the Ukraine in 2019. The Commonwealth University in the United Kingdom also awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2015 and the Oxford Academy UK the Manager of the Year 2022 award for his exceptional leadership.

He started his career as a teacher with the Ghana Education Service before going into agro-business as a farmer in the then Brong-Ahafo Region.

He established a chemical shop called Apraku Chemicals in the same Region, which grew steadily and was transformed into a pharmacy retail business called Samara Pharmacy Limited. He introduced various best practices with IT into the pharmacy business operations leading to market share growth and his appointment by Ayrton Drugs as their sole distributor in the Brong Ahafo Region.                                                                                                                           

He excelled and became Ayrton Drugs’ national distributor. By applying exceptional marketing ideas and passion, he successfully contributed to making Ayrton Drugs’ products a household name. Eventually, he decided to move from the marketing of curative drugs to the production and distribution of preventive products, which led to the creation of the Sasso brand. He developed the Sasso brand to provide Ghanaians with alternative mosquito control products that addressed the negative side effects of other brands on the market at the time, such as headaches, colds, and asthma-related issues. Today the Sasso brand has grown to become the number one insecticide spray and mosquito coil on the market.

Prof. Apraku is a recipient of the prestigious Nobles International Award for men and women of integrity in West Africa. He was also nominated for the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) “Marketing Man of the Year” Award.

Prof. Apraku is a devout Christian and a family man loved by all who come into contact with him.