“One Flower at a Time”: How Afi Amoro’s Mother’s Garden Grew Into Jandel’s 30-Year Legacy of Beautifying Ghana

Thirty years ago, a single mother stood in her mother’s garden in Accra with flowers in her hands and a future she could not yet see. On Friday night, that woman, Afi Amoro, stood before Ghana’s political and corporate elite as the founder of Jandel Limited, a company that has decorated presidential inaugurations, lit up Accra’s roundabouts, and ranked among the world’s top event planners.

The occasion was the 30th Anniversary Celebration Launch of Jandel Limited at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel, themed _“Three Decades of Impact, Growth and Legacy”_. Delivering the keynote, Deputy Chief of Staff (Admin.) at the Office of the President, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, said Jandel’s story mirrors the resilience government wants for Ghana’s creative economy.

She opened the night with a personal message from First Lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama, who sent “warmest congratulations” to Jandel and encouraged the team for the road ahead.

From UG Lectures to State House
Nana Oye recounted how Afi Amoro balanced University of Ghana lectures, parenting, and late-night floral deliveries to build Jandel from scratch. Her big break came when an arrangement reached the late former Vice President, H.E. Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, then Deputy Minister of Finance. His repeat requests turned passion into business.

“Behind that beginning was remarkable sacrifice,” Nana Oye told guests. “She worked through the night, managed deliveries in the early mornings, and attended lectures in between. That woman is in this room tonight.”

The Deputy Chief of Staff, herself a lover of fresh flowers, said she keeps them in her Jubilee House office because “there is something deeply therapeutic about the colour, the fragrance, the life they carry into a room.”

10,000 Events, World-Class Recognition
What began with three people in 1996 is now a team of 68 professionals. Jandel pioneered event tents in Ghana and grew into a one-stop production house for furniture, lighting, linens, logistics and special effects.

The portfolio reads like Ghana’s history book: over 10,000 events including presidential inaugurations, Independence Day celebrations, state funerals for President John Evans Atta Mills, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Hon. Jacob Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, plus royal ceremonies for Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II.

Trusted by the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Ghana, GNPC, MTN, Ecobank and Standard Chartered, Jandel has been named _Event Management Brand of the Decade_ at the National Communications Awards and listed among the _DWP Top 100 Planners and Designers in the World_ for four straight years.

“Light Up the City” and 120 Jobs
Nana Oye highlighted Jandel’s _Light Up the City_ initiative that transforms Accra’s roundabouts during festive seasons. “How many of you have slowed down, looked, perhaps taken a photo? That was Jandel,” she said. Beyond beauty, the project created jobs for over 120 craftsmen nationwide.

Weeks ago, Afi was honoured at the Ghana Women of the Year Honours 2026 for _Excellence in Hospitality_. “She earned this long before any stage was set,” Nana Oye added.

Aligning with the Reset Agenda
Linking Jandel’s mission to government policy, the Deputy Chief of Staff said both pursue “a Ghana that is beautiful, hospitable, and open for business.” Under President John Dramani Mahama’s _Reset Agenda_, tourism and hospitality contributed $4.82 billion in 2024 — the highest in history — supporting 660,000 jobs.

She listed revived projects: the 241-acre Marine Drive beachfront development, a January 2026 agreement to redevelop the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre, renovation of the National Theatre, Ashanti Region cultural projects, and a $300 million Shangri-La Hotel deal from the President’s Singapore visit. Government is also pushing digital tourism platforms, culinary tourism, and the _Ananse Heritage Project_ for digital storytelling.

A Call on Sanitation
Nana Oye did not shy away from hard truths. With rains flooding communities, she urged Ghanaians to pair beautification with environmental responsibility. “We cannot light up our cities and then block our drains with refuse. Sustainability is not just a policy word. It is a way of life. The Reset Agenda must also reset our habits.”

“This is Only the Beginning”
Closing, she said Jandel’s arrow logo represents continuous growth. “Impact: over 10,000 events. Growth: from three people to sixty-eight. Legacy: rooted in faith, resilience, service. After thirty years, this company says, and I believe them, that this is only the beginning.”

“To the next thirty years: go further. Government is ready to walk alongside well-meaning, excellence-driven businesses rooted in Ghana and proud of it. Let us build legacies together.”