The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has hosted the 2023 edition of the International Conference on Infrastructure Development with a call on African leaders to involve academia in their manifesto formulation.

A senior lecturer at the Department of Construction Technology and Management at KNUST, Emmanuel Adingrah who made the call said situations where politicians formulate policies without the input of academia are hampering the smooth development of the African continent.

He noted that Africa would get the desired development if those with political power were to formulate and implement the policies based on evidence-based research from academia.

Speaking to OTEC news reporter, Jacob Agyenim Boateng honoured at the sidelines of the event, Emmanuel Adingrah said one of the ways to develop sustainable infrastructure in Africa was to bridge the gap between academia and political power.

About the conference:

Dozens of planners, engineers, researchers, students, and other academia from other fields thronged to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Monday, November 20, 2023, for the 8th edition of the International Conference on Infrastructure Development in Africa.

The three-day meeting which commenced on November 19, 2023, was on the theme "Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Development in Africa’s Changing Climate".

The participants came from across the world to share ideas on how Africa as an emerging economy can develop sustainable and resilient infrastructure without causing problems with climate change.

The conference was organized with support from the University of Manchester, UK. And the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.