Meet Ibrahim Mahama, the Ghanaian business mogul and entrepreneur behind Engineers and Planners, a leading heavy-duty equipment renting company based in Accra, Ghana.
His company provides rental services to major mining companies operating not only in Ghana but also in other African countries, as well as serving road contractors. Upon his return to Ghana from England in 1997, Mahama noticed the pressing need for equipment in the country’s mining and construction industries. Recognizing the opportunity, he ventured into the equipment rental space to meet this demand.
His determination paid off when he secured a significant sub-contract to supply trucks to Razel-Bec for the construction of the Ako Adjei Interchange in Accra, marking a pivotal moment in his entrepreneurial journey.
“It is interesting. We didn’t even own the number of trucks that the contract required at the time but we still made do,” he told Emy Africa.
Engineers and Planners, founded by Ibrahim Mahama, has achieved remarkable success over the past three decades and has become the largest wholly indigenous mining and construction contracting company in West Africa, as well as one of the largest in Africa. Employing over 3000 people, the company has made significant contributions to the region’s economy.
Taking inspiration from renowned entrepreneurs like Aliko Dangote, Mahama has diversified his investments, venturing into agriculture with Asutuare Poultry Farms, a thriving enterprise that produces hundreds of thousands of eggs and 10,000 live broilers daily. He also owns Man Bosch Ghana (MBG) Ltd, a prominent retailer of MAN trucks and other heavy-duty equipment.
Not content with his achievements, Mahama launched Dzata Cement, becoming Ghana’s first wholly-indigenous cement manufacturer. The factory, which began construction in 2011, is expected to create 1,200 direct jobs and has a projected production capacity of 2 million tonnes of cement per year.
For his remarkable entrepreneurial exploits, Mahama has received worldwide recognition, including the prestigious 2018 African Achievers’ Award in London, where he was honored as the African Industrialist of the Year 2018. He has also been a recipient of the EMY Africa award.
Born in Piase, in Ghana’s Northern Region, Mahama hails from a prominent family background, with his father, Emmanuel Adama Mahama, being the country’s first Northern Regional Minister under Kwame Nkrumah. His mother, Joyce Tamakloe, is from Keta in the Volta Region of Ghana, and he is the brother of Ghana’s former President, John Mahama. Despite his family’s background, Mahama attributes his success to taking risks, continuous learning, and establishing the right partnerships.
After completing his secondary education at Ghana Senior High School in Tamale, Northern Region, Mahama pursued further studies at the College of North London in the United Kingdom. He gained work experience at a property development company in London before returning to Ghana to embark on his entrepreneurial journey.
In addition to his business ventures, Mahama co-founded the Joyce Tamakloe Cancer Foundation, which raises funds for hospitals to support the fight against cancer in Ghana.