‘My life came down to 50 pesewas after quitting my white-collar job for poetry’ – Nana Asaase

Ghanaian poet and writer Nana Asaase has recounted how his decision to leave a well-paying public relations job to pursue poetry left him facing financial uncertainty, with his bank balance eventually dropping to just 50 pesewas.

Speaking on The Career Trail programme aired on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, Nana Asaase said his decision to leave the corporate world was driven by his belief that poetry was a calling he needed to pursue.

After completing his studies at the University of Ghana, he undertook his National Service at Originate, Saatchi and Saatchi, where he gained practical experience in public relations, including documentary production, scriptwriting, voiceovers, event coverage and newspaper reporting.

His career journey, however, began before university, when he combined teaching with newsreading at Eagle FM in Cape Coast.

According to him, his interest in journalism, inspired by the standard of English used by broadcasters he listened to.

Although he gained admission to the University of Ghana, he did not pursue opportunities at the university’s Radio Universe, explaining that his academic work and interest in literature already demanded much of his attention.

Nana Asaase later joined Global Media Alliance as a public relations professional, where he earned what he described as a decent salary.

However, he became increasingly concerned about the future of Ghana’s cultural and arts industry, particularly the gap emerging as older generations of creatives passed on.

“I realised that within the culture and art space, we already had a generational crisis. There’s a gap,” he said.

He explained that the absence of enough people to carry forward the work of established cultural figures made him question how the industry would sustain itself in the years ahead.

However, his conviction to pursue poetry grew after he performed at an event and earned three times what he would have received as his monthly salary.

“So I remember one month where our salaries had delayed a little. It happens with agencies; it’s not unusual. And then I had a poetry gig. I had a call from Michael, and I decided to accept. Then I whispered to God, ‘God, if you’re really sending me here, don’t let any of my media outlets come and cover this event.’ I went for the event, and true to that, none of my outlets came to cover that story. I finished the performance and came back to the office. I got paid three times what I would get paid at the end of the month in my PR job. So it reinforced the fact that if I gave this gift proper attention, it could become a source of income,” he recounted.

According to him, the experience reinforced his belief that he could earn a living from his talent if he gave it the necessary attention, prompting him to eventually resign from his job.

The poet said the financial difficulties began almost immediately. At the time of his resignation, he had only GH¢100 in his bank account, which dropped to GH¢50 after his car broke down the following day.

Despite the uncertainty, he remained committed to his decision, giving himself five years to make poetry work.

“When I quit my job, let me be very open about it, I had 100gh in my account at that time. The next day, my car broke down. Then it came down to 50gh. And my life actually came down to 50 pesewas,” he revealed.

Despite the uncertainty, he remained committed to his decision, giving himself five years to make poetry work.

“I told God, look, I’m giving you five years of my life. If this thing doesn’t work, I’ll never put a pen to paper in the name of poetry,” he revealed.

He recalled one particularly difficult experience when he and fellow poet Hashmullah performed at the Ephraim Amu Centenary celebration at the National Theatre. The two received an envelope containing GH¢10 to share.

“We were walking from the National Theatre via the British Council down to Adabraka. Then I was like, ‘I’m going to open the envelope and see what’s inside.’ When I opened it, it was not GH¢10 in one note, oh. It was ten one-cedi notes for two people. We took off our shoes, started playing the guitar, and then, praised God. We bought kenkey and fish with that money. I will never forget that day,” he recalled.

His breakthrough, however, came when he received a call from OSJ Consult, which opened doors to major performance opportunities, including RLG’s end-of-year party and Ecobank Transnational’s 25th anniversary celebration.

“I received a miracle call from OSJ Consult at the time. I don’t know who had recommended me to them. But it was during that time when President Atta Mills had passed. So Oliver calls me. It was RLG’s end-of-year party at the time. We had a discussion, and the money was very good money. Oliver was very helpful and instrumental. He gave me my biggest gigs at the time, RLG and then Ecobank Transnational at 25,” he highlighted.

Reflecting on his 12 years in poetry, Nana Asaase said the journey had reinforced his belief that perseverance could eventually open doors, even when progress appeared slow.