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Madam Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, Deputy Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, has urged engineers to take a more active role in decision-making and policymaking processes to enable them to contribute practical, results-oriented solutions to Ghana’s development challenges.
She made the call at the opening ceremony of the 56th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE) and emphasised that the country’s development agenda required the direct involvement of professionals with technical expertise.
According to her, engineers, architects, and other practitioners with hands-on knowledge must step into governance and politics to help shape policies that are not only well-designed but also effectively implemented.
Madam Tetteh-Agbotui observed that under the current administration of President John Dramani Mahama, only a few individuals with architectural and engineering backgrounds, including herself and the Roads Minister, were serving ministers in government.
She described the situation as a gap that needed to be addressed, stressing that Ghana’s development efforts would be more impactful if more technically trained professionals were involved in leadership and policy formulation.
“We need to move beyond policy formulation to practical implementation. That can only happen when people with the requisite technical knowledge are part of the decision-making process,” she said.
She noted that the absence of engineers in governance often led to policies that lacked practical grounding, resulting in implementation challenges and inefficiencies across sectors such as infrastructure, housing, and water management.
Dr Kwame Boakye, Chairman of the Engineering Council and former President of GhIE, supported the call, stating that the participation of engineers in politics would promote the sharing of practical ideas and strengthen the country’s ability to address complex societal problems.
He said engineers were trained to analyse challenges and develop workable solutions, and their presence in governance structures would ensure that national issues were approached with innovation, efficiency, and sustainability.
Dr Boakye added that encouraging engineers to engage in public service and leadership roles would not only enhance policy outcomes but also help align national development strategies with technical realities on the ground.
He emphasised that for Ghana to achieve sustainable development, there must be a deliberate effort to integrate engineering expertise into governance systems to drive long-term, impactful solutions.
