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How a Ghanaian food processing company was established with ten shillings

During the post-World War II era, Madam Esther Afua Ocloo (Nee Nkulenu) became instrumental in Ghana’s industrialization drive.

The period saw the establishment of a notable food processing company that served the needs of people and created many jobs.

Known as the Nkulenu Industries, the company was established in 1942 with a mere sum of ten shillings. While the figure may not seem as much today, it was more than enough to instill a good imprint in many minds.

A year after the company was established, Madam Ocloo invested her pocket money – a sum of ten shillings, given to her by an aunt (the late Josephine Nkulenu; Mrs. Mensah).

Madam Nkulenu, as she was affectionately called, studied at the Achimota College and began the sale of marmalade in key parts of the country, through which she earned a household name.

Using firewood, oranges, sugar and used jam jars, she started the business by producing twelve jars of marmalade. In pricing the product, Madam Nkulenu decided on a 100 percent markup and sold a jar at one shilling.

The pricing regime enabled her to sell the marmalade efficiently due to the shortage created during World War II.

This, however, encouraged her to add orange squash under the brand name “NKULENU” which has survived to date.

The successes of the venture enabled Madam Ocloo to save money and later travel to the United Kingdom where she was admitted to Bristol University to study food preservation and processing techniques.

This newly acquired knowledge enabled her to introduce new products and improve the quality of the marmalade and fruit juices.

In 1956, Madam Ocloo went to England to develop recipes for commercial canning. She also served as one of the founders of Women’s World Banking in 1976.

Nkulenu Industries went on to produce palm drink, spiced palm soup base, Ga kenkey, Fante kenkey, and orange marmalade.

Nkulenu currently has a processing facility located in Madina, a suburb of Accra, which was constructed in 1961.

Madame Ester Ocloo was married to Stephen Ocloo with four children.

She passed away on February 8 2002.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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