From campus freshman to Communications Minister: Ursula Owusu-Ekuful shares rare 1985 star beer advert throwback

Former Minister of Communications and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has taken a nostalgic trip down memory lane, sharing a rare throwback photograph from her university days that captures her brief stint as a model for a Star Beer advertisement in 1985.

The photo, which she posted on her social media timeline, shows a youthful Owusu-Ekuful at the age of 21, dressed in a vibrant African print, holding a glass of beer with a sparkling smile. In the accompanying caption, she wrote: “First year on campus. 1985 at age 21. Star beer advert for Lintas, produced by Jake Obetsebi Lamptey!! Memories😄😄😄 3ne3 Cheers oooo”.

At the time, Owusu-Ekuful was a first-year law student at the University of Ghana. She had previously attended Labone Senior High School before proceeding to Mfantsiman Girls Secondary School for her sixth-form education.

The advertisement was produced by the late Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, a towering figure in Ghana’s advertising industry. Obetsebi-Lamptey, who passed away on 20 March 2016, was a co-owner and general manager of Lintas W.A. (later Advantage Group) from 1974. He was described by the Advertising Association of Ghana as one of the “founding pillars of Advertising in Ghana,” having risen through the ranks at Lintas West Africa to become Managing Director of Lintas Ghana and Afromedia Ltd. He also served as a cabinet minister in the government of President John Kufuor from 2001 to 2007 and was the first President of the Advertising Association of Ghana in its current form.

Owusu-Ekuful, born 20 October 1964, has since built a distinguished career in law, politics, and public service. She was called to the bar in 1990 after obtaining an LLB from the Ghana School of Law. She served as Minister for Communications and Digitalisation from 2017 to 2025, making her one of Ghana’s longest-serving communications ministers.

Her throwback post has since sparked a wave of nostalgia among Ghanaians, with many taking to social media to celebrate her journey from a young university student featuring in a beer commercial to one of Ghana’s most prominent female politicians.