Gifty Akushika Lamptey is a renowned Ghanaian entrepreneur, philanthropist and Chief Executive Officer of the Sidalco Group of Companies. The Group’s subsidiaries include Sidalco Fertilizers Limited, Dominion International Petroleum Limited, Sidalco Construction and Roads Limited, DEL Estates, and Empire Concretes Limited.
Born on 22nd June 1965, Dr. Gifty Lamptey completed her high school education in 1984 at Keta Secondary School and later progressed to Ho Polytechnic in 1985 where she studied Advanced Catering and Institutional Management graduating with an HCIM in 1988. Upon graduating from the Polytechnic, she got a job at Ambassador Hotel and was put in charge of catering services in 1985. Furthering her education pursuit in 2014, she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Psychology and bagged a Masters Degree and an Honorary degree from Dayspring University in the United States of America.
Wooed by her passion for food, Dr. Gifty Lamptey in 1990 started a food processing business and later expanded into the export of mushroom, papaya and pineapple. She later dabbled with a Civil and Building Construction business and transitioned to agro processing with her late husband, David Lamptey.
In 1992, Dr. Gifty and her late husband, following a tour of a food processing exhibition in the United Kingdom, developed a profound interest in agro fertilizer business. The interest didn’t rest at the exhibition center as they acted on the zeal by establishing the Sidalco company. Initially, the purpose of Sidalco was to increase the production rate and quality of the fruit produced by their company. However, toppling their intent was the introduction of agro-fertilizers to the Ghanaian market which witnessed outstanding success, redirecting the absolute attention to run it head-on. Products such as its signature liquid fertilizer and other agrochemicals as well as agricultural equipment arguably monopolized the agro processing industry and dominated the Ghanaian market space years later. The reason is simple, in spite of the unpredictability of the weather, the agro-fertilizers produced by Sidalco Company were easily absorbed by the plants, unlike conventional fertilizers which required much rainfall to dissolve it into the plants.
Subsequently, she yielded to the brewing urge to shoot up Gemanuel Construction Company, a Civil and Building Construction Business to diversify her source of income.
Not one destined to sit on her haunches, she also took great strides by venturing into the concrete batch plant business with her company, Empire Concretes, where clients receive full range benefits of the company’s shared experience and expertise in the industry. Her effort on that terrain was to gratify and support the burgeoning building and construction industry with supreme quality, ready-mix concrete for buildings.
Afterwards, Dr Lamptey took a bold dive into the petroleum industry by establishing Dominion International Petroleum Ltd., a privately held and wholly owned Ghanaian company registered under the laws of Ghana in 2009 to participate in the downstream energy sector as a bulk distribution oil company. It was subsequently licensed by the National Petroleum Authority, (NPA) in February 2012 and operations fully commenced in May 2012. Dominion International Petroleum was the first Bulk Distribution Company in Ghana to start operations by importing a full cargo of 28,000 metric tonnes of Gasoline for the Ghanaian market. It was also the tenth licensed bulk distribution oil company in Ghana. The Petroleum Company procured a 6.7 acres land in Tema to construct its tank storage and loading gantry.
Corporate social responsibility for Dr. Lamptey, means more than just having an attractive statement of goodwill to society. Her passion for supporting the under privileged in society stems from a conviction to genuinely impart her community in no small measure. This led her to establish an all-female NGO, Ladies of the Cross International. This NGO is a non-denominational Christian faith based non-governmental organization, set up with a mission to, among others, empower women to reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ and educate women on their marital, social and civil right. The organisation also endears to encourage women to participate in entrepreneurial projects and support the needy in society. Essentially, these women are equipped and empowered to give back to their families and the society at large. Also, the fellowship has a strong emphasis on giving back to the community, hence, it’s continually involved in enhancing the lives of the communities they are involved in, particularly the lives of women and children. Projects undertaken by the organisation includes the building of a community clinic and provision of social amenities like clean drinking water through their borehole projects. Regularly, the group supports orphanages and schools for persons living with disabilities. Dr Lamptey is also a member of the Centre for Economic & Leadership Development.
Her efforts have thus been rewarded in diverse ways as in 2018, she got an Honorary Degree from Alfred Nobel University in Ukraine on the merit of her commitment to women empowerment. Also in 2017, she was given an honorary degree from the Zaporozhye State Medical School in Ukraine. Without mincing words, she was also in 2017 awarded an ambassadorial status making her an Ambassador of Women in Africa by the Peristrofi World Honorary International. Dr Lamptey is an elected and life member of the Institute of Directors, UK.
Certainly, she has received other meritorious awards from high-profile events and organisations. She received the “African Female Champion Award” at the South American African Middle East Asia Amazons Awards in 2015, a United States Legislative Commendation by the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus in 2015. Dr Lamptey was also inducted into the “Global Leadership Hall of Fame also in 2015”. Her philanthropic gestures similarly earned her the “Top SuperWoman Award” in Ghana for her enormous influence on the Ghanaian society in diverse ways.
Hailed as one of the most successful businesswomen in the country, life is only starting out for Dr. Gifty Lamptey as she envisions greater prospects in her businesses projection and determined to looking to build a sustainable and global business conglomerate. Committedly, her tough-mindedness and constant need to improve on each idea and try out new endeavours will ground her in a well-deserved victory.
