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The Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Dr Prince Hamid Armah, has underscored the importance of engineering to national development, committing government’s willingness to invest in the sector.
“Engineering is the backbone of national development, serving as the engine that drives innovation, infrastructure, and economic growth,” he stated.
Dr Armah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim, said this at the second edition of the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)’s Breakfast Meeting organised by the Engineering Council in Accra on Tuesday.
The meeting, on the theme “Engineering excellence for national development: A collective responsibility,” brought together CEOs and engineers and other stakeholders to strengthen relationships, and educate stakeholders on the regulatory framework, standards, and expectations to ensure compliance.
According to Dr Armah, the world’s most developed nations had thrived on the strength of their engineering capabilities and Ghana must take cue to accelerate its development.
“As we work towards Ghana’s prosperity, we must prioritise and invest in engineering excellence,” he said.
Each year, he noted that Ghana produced a substantial pool of engineering talent, with over 2,000 graduates from KNUST alone.
This, he said, should prompt a critical question: “Are we creating the right environment for these professionals to excel and contribute meaningfully to our nation?”
He underscored the need for collaboration between government, industry, and academia to nurture innovation, advancing research, and applying engineering principles practically.
“We must champion partnerships that drive the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, sustainable infrastructure, and innovative solutions tailored to our national context,” he emphasized.
Registrar of the Council, Isaac Bedi, in his welcome address bemoaned the seeming non-adherence to standards which questions the relevance of engineering.
He said engineering only became a topic or practitioners remembered when there were problems with roads, bridges, building collapses, and floods amongst others “yet everywhere we pass, we see some engineering activity being carried out. How are these activities being executed and to what standards of practice are these being done?” he asked.
The goal of the Council, Mr Bedu said, was to foster collaboration between the Engineering Council and private sector leaders to drive engineering excellence in the country.
“We believe achieving excellence requires a team effort, beyond just professionals and by embracing best practices, innovation, and strict regulations, we can set new benchmarks to propel our nation forward,” he mentioned.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
