The Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Hon. Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has charged consulting engineers to prioritize quality, resilience and sustainable development projects to compensate for the huge infrastructural investments being made under the government’s “Big Push” programme.
Addressing delegates at the 31st Federation of International Consulting Engineers (FIDEC) Africa Infrastructure Conference in Accra, the Minister urged engineers to interrogate what they build. “Engineers must anticipate change and design systems that will endure not just the pressures of today but also the uncertainties of tomorrow,” he said. The 4-day conference, hosted by the Ghana Consulting Engineers Association (GCEA) brought together professionals from across Africa, the World Bank, and industry suppliers.
Speaking on the theme “Future-Ready Infrastructure: Advancing Africa through Innovation and Sustainability,” Hon. Gilbert Adjei said the government is taking decisive steps to align national priorities with the continent’s agenda. He highlighted the “Big Push” as the vehicle for scaling up investments in roads, bridges, railways, water systems, housing, and renewable energy. The goal, he noted, is a resilient and competitive economy capable of meeting future demands.
The Minister also reiterated that infrastructure must deliver real impact for ordinary people. “Infrastructure is not just concrete, steel and cables; it’s a mother getting her sick child to a clinic on time; it’s a young person in a village attending an online class; it’s a small business owner keeping the lights on. That’s what we’re really building.” In his remarks, the GCEA President Ing. Kwabena Bempong said consulting engineers are “absolutely critical to the country’s infrastructural investment and urged the conference to develop actionable solutions that will align with the government’s development agenda.
