Consulting Engineering experts, infrastructure leaders, policymakers and digital technology professionals from across Africa are in Accra for the FIDIC Africa Conference focused on sustainable infrastructure development, climate resilience and Africa’s green transition.

The conference, organised by FIDIC Africa in collaboration with the Ghana Consulting Engineering Association (GCEA), seeks to explore innovative solutions to Africa’s growing infrastructure demands.

In his welcome address, the President of Ghana Consulting Engineers Association, Ing Kwabena Bempong, said his association was proud to host the 2026 FIDIC Africa Infrastructure Conference and in partnership with FIDIC Africa, and it was his distinct honour to welcome all the delegates to Accra.

The conference began on 10th May through to 13th May, 2026, with the opening ceremony held on Monday, May 11, 2026, at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Accra.

Ing Bempong explained that the conference provides a platform for African countries to collaborate on sustainable engineering solutions and future-ready infrastructure policies.

He noted that Africa’s infrastructure financing gap, estimated at between 130 and 170 billion dollars annually, continues to hinder economic growth and access to essential services.

“Consulting engineers are absolutely critical to solving this. And this conference is exactly the platform where we can develop real, actionable solutions,” Ing. Bempong added.

The Vice President of FIDIC Global, Manish Kothari, described Africa as a continent rich in talent, youthful energy and innovation despite being disproportionately affected by climate change.

The President of FIDIC Africa, Eng. Qadri Sayed Rizwan called for stronger partnerships among governments, engineers, financial institutions, development partners and private sector actors to ensure infrastructure projects are properly designed, financed and managed.

The keynote speaker for the conference, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, speaking on the theme for the Conference: Future-Ready Infrastructure: Advancing Africa Through Innovation and Sustainability”, said, Africa’s future infrastructure must focus on improving lives, adding that Africa continues to face a major infrastructure financing gap, citing African Development Bank estimates that the continent requires between 130 billion and 170 billion US dollars annually for infrastructure development, while only about 68 billion to 108 billion dollars is currently available.

The Minister praised Ghana Consulting Engineers for their contribution to national development, describing them as the “quiet heroes” behind roads, water systems and energy infrastructure that improve lives daily.

Meanwhile, the Guest of Honour, Seth Emmanuel Terkper, former Finance Minister and Economic Advisor to the President, said the government is implementing measures aimed at boosting infrastructure financing and sustainable development across the country.

He highlighted the need for innovative financing models, including public-private partnerships, infrastructure bonds, pension funds and capital market instruments to bridge Ghana’s infrastructure financing gap.

Mr. Terkper noted that sustainable infrastructure financing remains critical for Ghana’s ambition of attaining upper-middle-income status. He challenged industry players to develop innovative financial instruments such as corporate bonds to support infrastructure expansion across Africa.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly, Dr. Michael Mensah said the infrastructure of yesterday cannot solve the problems of tomorrow. “We therefore need infrastructure that is intelligent, climate-resilient, technologically driven, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable”,  stressing that, ‘we need infrastructure that do[H1] es not only serves present demands but anticipates future needs.”

At the Gala Dinner and Awards night held at the Palms by Eagles hotel in the evening, awards were presented to consulting engineers from Ghana and some African countries, who have diligently served the association and FIDIC Africa.

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