The Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhlE) and Professor Douglas Boateng, a distinguished international chartered director and industrial engineer, have teamed up to co-establish a first-of-its-kind continental-wide annual lecture series on industrialization, supply chain management and governance.

The event, known as “The GhIE / Professor Douglas Boateng Annual Lectures,” aims to foster knowledge exchange and advance the fields of industrialization, engineering, and supply chain governance in Ghana and the rest of the continent.

The lecture series acknowledges Prof. Boateng's several decades of contribution to local, regional-wide and emerging world industrialization, industrial engineering, procurement and supply chain governance efforts. Through this partnership, GhIE aims to leverage his global experience, expertise and networks to create a platform for thought leadership and collaboration on industrialization issues of critical importance to Ghana, the continent and other developing economies.

Both parties believe that the innovative not-for-profit partnership represents a significant achievement in helping advance the discourse on value chain engineering and management.

“Joining forces with the renowned Ghana Institution of Engineering for the next five (5) years and beyond to further create awareness of the strategic importance of supply and value chain engineering and governance is indeed an honour. Without question, the long-term success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), and Africa's Agenda 2063 is inextricably linked to industrialization.” Professor Douglas Boateng posited.

Ing. Kwabena Bempong, President of the Ghana Institution of Engineering, emphasized the importance of collaboration in advancing engineering knowledge and practice in Ghana. "The establishment of this annual lecture series reflects our commitment to promoting excellence and driving innovation in engineering. We are confident that the insights and expertise shared through this platform will contribute significantly to addressing the challenges and opportunities in industrialisation, supply chain management and governance."

The first GhIE / Professor Douglas Boateng Annual Lecture is scheduled to take place in Accra on 23rd May, 2024. Professor Douglas Boateng will deliver the inaugural lecture to a mostly continental-wide audience. The event will bring together stakeholders from academia, industry captains, C-suite executives, politicians, government, and civil society groups to explore strategies and solutions for advancing Ghana's and the rest of the continent’s industrialization agenda.

“The lectures will undoubtedly help stimulate value-driven dialogue, industrial innovation, competitiveness, and productivity improvements, which are fundamental to Ghana and the rest of the continent's industrialization and economic developmental agenda”. Ing Kwabena Bempong concluded.