The President of the Ghana Institution of Engineering, Ing Ludwig Annang Hesse, has asserted that engineering, science, and technology play crucial roles in Ghana’s development.
According to him, China and other Asian countries had demonstrated this by focusing on the production of engineers and scientists to lay their industrial foundation, which contributed to their rapid development across all sectors.
Speaking at the 56th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Ghana Institute of Engineering held in Ho in the Volta Region, Ing Hesse entreated Ghana to emulate the same approach to harness the potential of these professions and build a strong foundation for socioeconomic development.
“Engineering is not only about building bridges and systems, but about building nations, and not only about solving today’s problems but laying the paths for future generations. A future shaped by the decisions we make today, the standards we set today, and the courage we show today.”
“Engineers must therefore be at the table in government, in industry, in education, innovating,
helping our societies move from where we are to where we must be. And above all, we must
insist that how we build matters as much as what we build. Integrity must be our foundation,
accountability our compass, and the public good our purpose. As we engineer our future,
we must do it well and do it right,” he said.
Ing Hesse added that another factor to be considered to accelerate Ghana’s development is to purge corruption and ensure that programs and policies designed by successive governments are successfully implemented, devoid of corrupt practices.
“So, what must we do differently. How do we reset our systems? How do we do it well and do
it right? We must allow engineering, science, and technology to lead. And we must fight corruption”, he stressed.
The Presidential advisor on the government’s 24-hour Economy Initiative, Goosie Tanoh, outlined initiatives to be undertaken by his outfit and called for private sector participation.
“But the government cannot do this alone. We need the industry to meet us halfway. We need the private sector; we need the intellectual capacity of the engineers and other professionals to make this program work. We need not go back to the IMF”, he said.
He said plans are ongoing to establish industrial parks, agro-processing corridors, renewable energy installations, inland water transport systems, and cold chain networks.
He said these initiatives are designed with the local engineer in mind, emphasising that “where Ghanaian firms have the capacity, they lead. Where they do not yet have it, they are structured into every project as joint venture partners, building the capability to lead the next one.”
The Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Gizella Tetteh Agbotui, affirmed that engineers are duty-bound to help Ghana design and implement innovative measures to navigate the effects of climate change and build a strong agricultural sector.
“Engineers must lead in innovation, lead in the design of systems, lead in building resilient infrastructure, lead in championing standards, and lead in shaping the policies that govern our food systems. Let us remember that food security is, ultimately, national security”, she explained.
