GhIE Opens 56th Annual Conference in Ho, Driving a Bold Agenda for Food Security Through Engineering

The 56th Annual General Meeting and Engineering Conference of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE) officially opened on March 17, 2026, in Ho, the Oxygen City of the Volta Region bringing together over 700 professionals to chart a bold new path for engineering-led solutions to Ghana’s food security challenges.

The five-day gathering has drawn a dynamic mix of stakeholders, including engineers, policymakers, industry leaders, academics, students, and international delegates from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Sierra Leone, and beyond. The strong turnout underscores a shared commitment to leveraging engineering innovation and cross-sector collaboration to tackle some of Ghana’s most pressing development challenges.

Delivering remarks on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, Presidential Adviser Augustus Goosie Tanoh challenged the engineering community to step forward as a driving force behind Ghana’s economic transformation. He underscored the central role of engineers in delivering the infrastructure and systems required to power the government’s 24-Hour Economy agenda and boost national productivity.

Also addressing the conference, Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, Deputy Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, reaffirmed government’s commitment to strengthening infrastructure development and creating the right environment for engineering excellence to thrive.

In his welcome address, GhIE President Ludwig Annang Hesse delivered a strong call to action, urging a strategic shift that places engineering, science, and technology at the heart of national development. He emphasized that this year’s theme “Engineering the Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture Value Chain” offers a critical opportunity to rethink how Ghana produces, processes, stores, and distributes food.

The conference will feature a robust programme of technical sessions, policy dialogues, exhibitions, and networking forums, all focused on practical, scalable solutions across the agricultural value chain from irrigation and mechanization to processing, storage, logistics, and market access.

Ing Dr Lucy Agyepong, the lead Organizer of the conference says the event goes beyond dialogue. It is a platform for action. “This conference brings together the expertise needed to turn ideas into solutions and partnerships into impact,” she noted.

In addition to the technical programme, the AGM will enable members of the Institution to review progress, address key industry challenges, and set strategic priorities for the future of engineering in Ghana.

As conversations unfold in Ho this week, one message is clear: engineering is not just part of the solution it is central to building a resilient, food-secure, and economically vibrant Ghana.