Richard Nii Armah Quaye, the renowned entrepreneur and chairman of Bills, has opened up about his difficult childhood and the driving force behind his success.
“I come from a very humble background. My mother, my sister, and I lived in a single room. My mother slept on the bed while my sister and I slept on a mat beside her,” he revealed.
Life was tough, and his family often struggled to make ends meet. “There were times we slept in the dark—not because there was no electricity in the area, but because we couldn’t afford it.”
Despite their struggles, his mother never let him go to bed hungry. “She always found a way to put something on the table, no matter how little. That is something I will always be grateful for.”
Her words of encouragement became his motivation. “She would tell me, ‘I’m counting on you. You are my only son. If you want me to live long, take us out of this situation.’ Those words stuck with me and gave me the zeal to push forward.”
To support himself through school, Quaye had to hustle. “Right after secondary school, I started selling local gin. I was not even 18, but I had to survive. I sold alcohol in Jamestown while attending IPS (now UPSA). At night, I would sell beer just to save money for my education.”
Through sheer determination, he put himself through school, eventually travelling to the UK to complete his studies. “I saved enough money from selling alcohol to pay for tuition. I applied for a visa and left at 22 to continue my education.”
Today, Quaye is one of Ghana’s most successful entrepreneurs, but he never forgets where he came from. “My mother’s sacrifices and words of encouragement shaped me. I had no choice but to succeed.”
