“I used to lie at the port' - Ghanaian millionaire, Daniel Ofori reflects on early business life

Nii Ayitey Brown 12:02 - 26 May 2026

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Daniel Ofori

Ghanaian businessman Daniel Ofori has revealed how he previously undervalued imports to avoid high duties but later stopped after a change in his Christian faith during a church address in Kumasi.

Ghanaian businessman Daniel Ofori has admitted that he previously undervalued imported goods to reduce high import duties at the port.
He says the practice conflicted with his Christian faith, leading him to eventually stop and change his approach to business.
Ofori shared his experiences during a church address in Kumasi, where he also encouraged believers to stay strong in their faith.

Ghanaian businessman and founder of White Chapel Limited, Daniel Ofori, has opened up about some of the questionable business practices he engaged in during the early years of building his business empire, admitting that he used to undervalue imported goods at the ports to avoid paying high import duties.

Speaking during a church service at Grace Baptist Church, the businessman shared his personal struggles between running a successful business and remaining true to his Christian values.

According to him, his business journey started after his father gave him shops at Adum in Kumasi, which he later used to expand into importation and retail business.

He explained that the business eventually grew into what became the well-known White Chapel brand.

Ofori revealed that during his years as an importer, many traders often declared lower values for their goods at the ports because of the high taxes and duties charged on imported products.

“When you import goods, and you tell the truth at the port, they are going to charge you a duty that would run you at a loss,” he told the congregation.

“You’d eventually have to spew lies. You have to value 5,000 worth of goods, at 1,000 so that you'll still have something to eat after they charge the duty”, he added.

The businessman said the practice later began to trouble his conscience after a sermon he heard in church about truthfulness and worshipping God sincerely.

“I came to church one day, and it was preached that God is a spirit, so He should be worshipped in spirit and in truth. Meanwhile, I was doing a job full of lies,” he said.

According to Ofori, he eventually decided to walk away from that line of business because he no longer felt comfortable with practices that conflicted with his Christian beliefs.

Daniel Ofori has remained one of Ghana’s most talked-about businessmen in recent years due to his involvement in several high-profile legal and public matters.

Daniel Ofori is a Ghanaian business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He is best known as the founder of White Chapel Limited, a pioneer apparel retail outlet

My father gave me a shop at Adum, and I expanded it to become larger with the establishment of White Chapel. I used to undervalue the price of my goods so that the duty would be less.

-Millionaire Deacon Daniel Ofori pic.twitter.com/NyF42iVsja
— Ghana Chronicles (@_GhChronicles) May 25, 2026

He recently made headlines after securing a major legal victory against Ecobank Ghana in a long-running financial dispute.

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