The Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Ing Edward E. Obeng-Kenzo, has called on engineers to assume a more strategic leadership role in shaping Ghana’s industrial future, saying the successful implementation of the Government’s 24-Hour Economy would depend on engineering innovation, long-term planning, and resilient infrastructure.
He said engineers would design the factories, power systems, transportation networks, and digital infrastructure required to transform Ghana into a globally competitive industrial economy.
Addressing participants at the 2nd Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE)-Professor Douglas Boateng Lecture Series in Accra, Ing Obeng-Kenzo described the 24-Hour Economy as both an engineering challenge and an opportunity.
“The engineers gathered here today will play a defining role in its success. We have both the responsibility and the privilege of building the foundation upon which future generations will prosper,” he said.
He urged the Ghana Institution of Engineering to position itself as the nation’s foremost engineering think tank by providing evidence-based policy advice, strengthening engineering standards, and promoting strategic leadership within the profession.
Among his recommendations, he called on the Institution to champion infrastructure development for reliable electricity, reduce technical losses in power systems through engineering solutions, influence national energy policy, and establish a long-term engineering foresight agenda to guide infrastructure planning over the next 20 to 50 years.
Ing Obeng-Kenzo also advocated stronger engineering ethics, improved contract management, continuous professional development, and greater investment in specialised engineering skills to prepare Ghana’s workforce for future energy and infrastructure challenges.
He further challenged engineers to contribute practical solutions to national problems, including the perennial flooding affecting Accra and other parts of the country, urging the profession to support the government with innovative and sustainable engineering interventions.
Speaking after the lecture, Professor Douglas Boateng, founder of the lecture series, said the initiative was established to showcase excellence within Ghana’s engineering profession while providing thought leadership on industrialisation and national development.
He said engineers must embrace generational thinking by planning beyond political cycles if Ghana is to achieve sustainable industrial growth.
The President-Elect of the Ghana Institution of Engineering, Ing Sophia Tijani, said the annual lecture series was created to connect ideas and expertise that would advance Ghana’s development and strengthen collaboration across Africa.
She explained that the choice of the theme reflected the critical role of reliable electricity in achieving the Government’s 24-Hour Economy agenda, describing VRA as the ideal partner for the national conversation.
“We cannot achieve a successful 24-hour economy without reliable power generation,” she said.
The annual GhIE–Professor Douglas Boateng Lecture Series continues to serve as a platform for engineers, policymakers and industry leaders to deliberate on practical engineering solutions that support Ghana’s industrialisation and sustainable national development.
