Francis Asenso-Boakye
The Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has urged architects, engineers, planners, construction managers and all key stakeholders in the built environment to strive towards “designing and building the nation”.
He said nation building is a collective responsibility of the government, private sector, academia, civil society organisations and professionals, and that there is the need to look critically at the way the cities are developing, and offer strategies that can develop the environment in a more robust and resilient manner.
The Minister was speaking at the 2021 Annual General Meeting of the Ghana Institute of Architects which was held through a virtual platform last week.
It was on the theme “My City: Between Vision and Reality”.
Important role
He said the government recognises the good work of architects, which ensures safe, functional and attractive habitats within which people live and work in the context of cities and urban settlements. He therefore urged them to bring up more innovative designs to improve the living environment in the country.
“I am convinced, beyond doubt, that you are collectively meeting here today, as architects, to develop a system that will make the role of architecture and planning more critical in ensuring that we build better and more inclusive cities for generations yet unborn,” he stated.
The Minister assured Ghanaians that his ministry would not relent in its effort to create the requisite regulatory regime and environment to ensure that buildings are executed to standards that serve the needs of everybody in the society.
Arc. Samuel Quartey, the President of the Ghana Institute of Architects, assured the government that they would continue to work hard to bring up innovative designs which will address the current urbanisation challenges in the country.
