Ghana must improve how cities are governed and managed to address its transport problems, Ing. Ludwig Annang Hesse, president of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), has said.

He said the division of major metropolitan areas among several municipal assemblies made it difficult to plan and manage transport systems that crossed municipal boundaries.

“If we don't get the governance right, if we don't get the city management right, all the things I've done as an engineer, we've done big studies, we've done big projects, I've led projects to change the way we do business, but that's not worked because the governance element, which should be the first, has not been done,” he said.

Ing. Hesse said public transport planning should be done at the metropolitan level rather than by individual municipalities.

“If you are going to do public transport, you cannot do it piece by piece. You have to do it as a whole,” he said.

He said the same approach should apply to urban planning, including decisions on the location of industries and other developments.

According to Ing. Hesse, Ghana also needed a clear authority with the mandate and resources to implement transport plans.

He said several transport plans had been developed over the years, but many of their recommendations had not been implemented because responsibilities were spread across different institutions.

He said governance should come first, followed by integrated urban and transport planning, with an authority responsible for implementation and enforcement.

Ing. Hesse also called for action on immediate transport problems while authorities worked on long-term plans.

“Doing nothing is not an option,” he said, calling for attention to traffic lights, road maintenance and other basic transport infrastructure.

He was speaking at the Third International Conference on Energy and Engineering organised by the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani under the theme “Engineering the Future: Energy, Agriculture, and Infrastructure Innovations towards Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development.”

The conference brings together researchers, industry practitioners, policymakers, and innovators to discuss energy, agriculture, engineering, infrastructure, and environmental issues.

It also seeks to connect research with practical solutions and strengthen collaboration among academia, industry, and government.

Associate Professor at the School of the Built Environment, University of Reading, Rory Jones, said Ghana's energy transition must also take into account people who still lack access to electricity.

“There are people currently who do not have access to power. So what do you tell those people about energy transition when they don't have it?” he asked.

He said Ghana needed a clear strategy that considered energy access, its existing resources and its long-term energy needs.

Mr Jones also called for closer cooperation between government, industry, and academia to turn research into practical solutions and businesses.

He said industry could bring its challenges to universities, where researchers could develop solutions that could be turned into businesses.

Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ing. Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, said Ghana should use the needs of the mining industry to develop local businesses that supply goods and services to mining companies.

He cited inputs such as grinding media and activated carbon as areas where local industries could be developed.

“How do we then use these needs that have budgets attached to them to start some industries?” he asked.

Dr Ashigbey said stronger collaboration between industry and academia could help turn research and innovation into businesses and create opportunities for local industries.