Ghana’s ambition to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for accelerated development can only be realized through a focus on engineering and industrialization, stated Professor Douglas Boateng, an international chartered director and industrial engineer.
He emphasized that the country requires appropriate technologies and solutions to initiate local production of goods and services and to become a significant player in the industrial and commercial sectors both in Africa and globally.
Professor Boateng made the call at the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE) inaugural lecture on the theme: ‘Engineering, Industrialisation, AfCFTA and Strategic Sourcing: The Inextricable Links,’ in Accra, last Thursday.
The event was attended by members of the GhIE, Senior Presidential Advisor Yaw Osafo-Maafo, and a diverse segment of the public.
Prof. Boateng emphasized the necessity of supporting engineers to enable them to address societal and industrial challenges.
He asserted that engineering should be central to the nation’s development, facilitating the production of machinery to process the country’s mineral and natural resources into finished goods.
Prof. Boateng pointed out that countries like the US, UK, China, Japan, Germany, and South Korea developed primarily through engineering and encouraged Ghana to follow their example.
Consequently, he proposed that the Ministry of Trade and Industry be reoriented to become the Ministry of Industrialization, Commerce, and Development.
Prof. Boateng remarked that the current structure of the ministry does not effectively promote industrialization, leading to subpar outcomes in engineering, commerce, and development.
He stressed that engineering should be integral to long-term planning and development, highlighting its crucial role in economic transformation.
Prof. Boateng said “the GhIE should be supported to produce local solution and technologies to promote industrialisation of the country.”
He stated that the country could not continue exporting its material and mineral resources in their raw state, lamenting that this practice was a major cause of unemployment and pressure on the Cedi.
The President of the GhIE, Mr. Kwabena Bempong, remarked that the lecture’s topic was not only timely but also crucial, as it is central to Africa’s industrial and economic transformation.
He highlighted that engineering has been a cornerstone and foundation of industrial development, emphasizing that through innovative engineering solutions, the country can overcome its challenges, optimize its resources, and drive sustainable growth.
Mr. Bempong mentioned that Africa is on the brink of a new era of growth and development, and AfCFTA offers unprecedented opportunities to leverage collective strengths and resources.
“I have said that if we do not take the opportunity that AfCFTA provides to us in terms of the 1.5 billon population of our continent to produce, then we will have to remain net consumers leading huge imbalances in our trade with the world,” he stated.