The Engineering in Africa Conference 2026 has opened at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), bringing together engineers, academics, students and industry professionals to explore practical responses to Africa’s development challenges.
The three-day conference began on Thursday, 10 September 2026, and runs until Saturday, 12 September, under the theme “Engineering Africa’s Future: Innovation, Infrastructure & Impact”.
The conference is organised by the National Society of Black Engineers, Ghana (NSBE Ghana), in collaboration with UPSA through the UPSA Enterprise and Innovation Centre (UEIC).
The partnership connects engineering expertise with the University’s focus on entrepreneurship, innovation and the practical application of knowledge.
Delivering the welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of UPSA, Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, emphasised the importance of sound management, responsible financing and strong institutions in ensuring that engineering solutions deliver lasting benefits.
He called for an interdisciplinary approach that combines technical expertise with effective leadership and sustainable investment to address the continent’s infrastructure and development needs.
“An engineering solution requires sound management if it is to serve people consistently. It needs a workable business model, responsible financing and institutions that can maintain it,” Prof. Mawutor said.
He noted that the conference reflected UPSA’s philosophy of “Scholarship with Professionalism”, offering an opportunity to connect academic knowledge with professional practice through engagement with the engineering community.
Encouraging students to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, he urged them to begin applying their knowledge to problems within their communities.
“To our cherished students, do not wait until graduation to begin solving problems. Start with something you understand in your community. Ask questions, learn from others and test your ideas. The confidence to become an entrepreneur grows through doing the work,” he advised.
The Executive Director of NSBE Ghana, Abdulai Imoro, called on participants to become architects of Africa’s future, while the Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery, Edmund B. Kombat, challenged African engineers to move from consuming technology to creating and owning it.
Also addressing participants, Ms Solace Kidisil, Vice-President of the Financial Technology Services Group (FTSG), emphasised the importance of inclusion in advancing engineering and innovation across Africa.
She cautioned against treating inclusion as charity and called for deliberate, sustained efforts to enable people from diverse backgrounds to contribute meaningfully to the sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Society of Black Engineers, Ms Janeen Uzzell, called for stronger collaboration and purposeful investment in Africa’s engineering talent.
She described the conference as an opportunity to exchange knowledge and professional experience, explore emerging technologies and examine practical approaches to the continent’s infrastructure and development challenges.
Discussions and engagements continue through 12 September, focusing on how engineering, innovation and collaboration can support Africa’s sustainable development.
