Leading Construction industry players have been honoured at the 3rd West Africa Construction Awards (WACA) which was held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.

About thirty (30) construction individuals including organizations were recognized and rewarded for their significant contribution in the construction industry.

WACA 2019 was under the theme “celebrating excellence in the Construction industry”.

Addressing winners and guests at the event, Minister for Roads and highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta lauded Instinct wave, organizers of WACA 2019 for putting together an award scheme that recognizes construction professionals for their significant contribution to the economy.

Mr. Amoako –Atta charged industry players to uphold the ethics of the profession.

Touching on the tagging of some contractors under his ministry as doing shoddy works on roads, Mr. Amoako-Atta said such derogatory remarks will be a thing of the past.

“There is a description, people referring to certain roads constructed in our nation as poor quality and it has attracted a special term ‘sub pity’. This term is derogatory, this term is shameful, this term is disgraceful. Once I’m privileged to meet that ministry, at least if I don’t leave anything behind, I will make sure that this shameful description of roads being constructed by some contractors in my ministry which has attracted the unenviable word and term of ‘sub pity’ as a thing of the past. There are decent excellent contractors in my ministry comparable to contractors anywhere in the world, there are decent professionals….why should the industry be associated with such derogatory term”.

“Let’s all of us work together, individually and collectively, even if it is one bad professional, let’s smoke him or her out. We cannot continue to tolerate what is unenviable in the construction industry. You make nations tick. All the developments, all the beautiful things that people are proud of, all that go around us in the construction industry come about because of the expertise and the ingenuity of you professionals”.

Mr. Amoako-Atta added that, in the construction industry, efficient project planning is essential to translate project concept into reality and also by ensuring that each stage is critically considered alongside the cost and the impacts expected.

According to him, the ultimate is that projects are appropriately delivered to ensure value for money for our people and for our nation.”

Touching on the need to plan, Mr. Amoako-Atta stated “our physical development to fit into the environment including the prevailing climate conditions,” that infrastructure in every country is key, because that is the foundation of any nation and it forms the pivot around which the socio-economic development of every nation revolves.

“So any nation which so desirous to make a forward march in its development should pay greater attention to development of infrastructure, not for its sake but quality infrastructure,” he said.

The CEO of Instinct Wave, Akin Naphtal on his part said “In the last three years the Industry has evolved, with a lot of high rise projects springing up in our skylines across West Africa and Ghana in particular.”

According to him, the award scheme which was last held in 2016 took a two-year break in order to give the industry more space for immense growth and new discoveries.

“And indeed we have seen tremendous growth, now in its third year, the Award will recognize the enormous achievements of the construction industry and its contribution to the sub-Saharan economy,” he stated.

Below is the list of the awardees:

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS
HSE Equipment Provider of the Year - Tomstar Enterprise

Indigenous Construction Company of the Year - Berock Ventures

Construction Equipment Provider of the Year - Joshob Construction

Architectural Firm of the Year - ArchXenus

Consultancy/Quantity Surveyor of the Year - ADK Consortium

Building Material Supplier of the Year - H&M Timber and Hardware Ltd

Civil Engineering Consultancy Firm of the Year - PPMC

Residential Development Award - Regimanuel Gray

Fastest Growing Steel Company of the Year - Fabrimetal

Steel Company of the Year - B5 Plus

Road Contractor of the Year - Joshob Construction

Outstanding Women Empowerment Strategy in Construction Award - Archxenus

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Architect of the Year
Nana Akua Oppong Birmeh
CEO-Archxenus

Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year
Mr. Emmanuel Botchwey
CEO-Regimanuel Gray

Outstanding Woman in Construction
Nana Akua Oppong Birmeh
CEO-Archxenus

Construction Executive of the Year
Mr.Rockson Kwesi Dogbegah
CEO-Berock Ventures