Akua Aboabea Aboah, the Managing Director of Sambus Geospatial Limited, has been catapulted into the international limelight after being featured in the October/November 2025 edition of Forbes Africa.

Forbes celebrates her as a titan of West African geospatial intelligence, charting her journey from a reluctant legal practitioner to a tech visionary who is quite literally mapping the continent’s development.

The Forbes recognition follows her September 2025 feature in Her Network, cementing a year of unprecedented international acclaim for the woman reshaping how Africa uses location data to solve its most complex industrial and social challenges.

From temporary lawyer to tech trailblazer

Lady Akua’s path to the helm of Sambus was forged in tragedy and transformation.

In 2013, following the death of her father, Samuel Kenneth Aboah—who founded the company in May 1987—she stepped in to preserve his legacy.

Armed with law degrees from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Birmingham, she initially viewed her role as a temporary caretaker.

However, recognizing the untapped goldmine of spatial data, she made the strategic decision to carve out the geospatial division into an independent, powerhouse entity. Under her decade-long tenure, Sambus has undergone an aggressive expansion:

• Staffing Surge: The workforce has quadrupled from 20 to over 80 specialized staff members.
• Geographical Footprint: Operations now span seven West African nations, including Ghana, Nigeria, Gabon, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Equatorial Guinea.
• Physical Infrastructure: Fully staffed hubs are now operational in Accra, Abuja, and Lagos, with aggressive plans for further continental offices in the pipeline.

The "Pressure Woman" and the ethics of data

Internally, Lady Akua has earned the formidable nickname "the pressure woman."

It is a title she wears with pride, reflecting a leadership style that blends a relentless pursuit of excellence with uncompromising ethical standards.

She maintains that the company’s core values—Commitment, Honesty, Respect, Integrity, and Trust—are the non-negotiable filters through which every contract is viewed.

Speaking to Her Network, she emphasized that any business opportunity that fails to align with these principles is "never truly lucrative."

This rigorous approach has allowed Sambus to become the sole distributor for global giants, including:

• ESRI: Environmental Systems Research Institute geospatial software.
• Trimble: Precision handheld devices.
• L3Harris: Advanced aerospace and defense products.

500 million data points: Solving African problems

Sambus now processes a staggering 500 million geospatial data points annually.

By leveraging a global network of over 70 geospatial Chief Executives, Lady Akua is deploying technology to tackle uniquely African problems with surgical precision:

• Agribusiness: Mapping cocoa and oil palm plantations in Ghana to optimize yields and supply chains.
• Energy Security: Utilizing remote sensing to detect underwater gas leaks from pipelines in the Niger Delta.
• Public Health & Utilities: Providing data frameworks for healthcare delivery and utility management across the region.

At the ESRI User Conference West Africa 2025 in Lagos, held under the theme "Geospatial Synergy: Mapping the Future Together," Lady Akua issued a clarion call to African leaders. She argued that sustainable development is impossible without first digitizing every location on the continent to enable coordinated planning.

Her commitment to the future extends beyond the boardroom; Sambus has donated extensive geospatial software and tools to academic institutions across Ghana and Nigeria, ensuring the next generation of African engineers is equipped for a data-driven world.

Lady Aboah continues to sharpen her own expertise through executive education at the University of Cambridge and Harvard University, focusing on strategic thinking and resilience.

Her message to the continent remains clear: geospatial technology is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity. African leaders must not watch from the sidelines as location data reshapes the global economy.