The Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA) has raised concerns over the increasing incidents of building collapses and the rapid deterioration of roads despite huge investments in infrastructure projects across the country.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Church of Pentecost event aimed at equipping built environment professionals and young people with godly principles to combat corruption and uphold integrity in their respective fields, the President of the Ghana Institute of Architects, Tony Asare, attributed many of Ghana’s infrastructure challenges to weak regulation and inadequate oversight.
According to him, Ghana lacks a single independent body mandated to effectively regulate, monitor and enforce standards among engineers and contractors to ensure projects are designed and executed to suit local conditions.
“Contractors are not properly regulated. We do not have a body that regulates the performance and the quality of work that contractors deliver. And the structure of our governance is such that the Ministry of Works and Housing issues a license and all these contractors work in various ministries.
“We do not have any set of rules that says that when a contractor does a poor job, they are going to be blacklisted so we have a lot of gaps in terms of the regulation and the monitoring in the build space.
He lamented that while contractors are awarded projects, there is often inadequate supervision and little accountability when standards are compromised.
Asare stressed that if Ghana is to build durable roads and safe infrastructure, the country must prioritise the right technical conversations and strengthen quality assurance systems.
He cited the Accra–Kumasi Expressway project as an example, expressing optimism about the initiative but questioning whether Ghana’s poor maintenance culture could undermine its long-term sustainability.
He further called for policies that would compel foreign engineering firms undertaking projects in Ghana to collaborate with local professionals in the industry. According to him, such partnerships would help ensure that roads and other infrastructure projects are designed to suit Ghana’s environmental and climatic conditions, while also promoting knowledge transfer and building local capacity.
Beyond infrastructure, Asare underscored the need to invest in the younger generation through internship opportunities and mentorship programmes. He also called for greater incorporation of faith-based teachings, arguing that values such as integrity, honesty and accountability are essential to addressing corruption across various sectors.
The event, themed “Workers Guild! My Work, My Divine Assignment,” brought together professionals from various fields within the Church of Pentecost. Participants were encouraged by church leaders and industry experts to uphold godly values and ethical standards in their workplaces to promote national development.
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