Engineering leaders, policymakers and digital technology professionals from across Africa gathered in Accra this week for the FIDIC Africa Infrastructure Conference, confronting the continent’s annual infrastructure financing shortfall of up to 170 billion dollars.
The four-day event, organised by the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Africa in collaboration with the Ghana Consulting Engineering Association (GCEA), ran from May 10 to 13, 2026, with its opening ceremony held on Monday, May 11. Delegates convened around the theme of sustainable infrastructure development, climate resilience and Africa’s green transition.
GCEA President Ing. Kwabena Bempong told the gathering that the continent’s infrastructure financing gap, estimated at between 130 and 170 billion dollars annually, continues to suppress economic growth and limit access to essential services.
“Consulting engineers are absolutely critical to solving this,” Ing. Bempong said.
Ghana’s Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, who delivered the keynote address on the theme “Future-Ready Infrastructure: Advancing Africa Through Innovation and Sustainability,” cited African Development Bank figures showing the continent requires between 130 and 170 billion dollars each year while only 68 to 108 billion dollars is currently available.
Former Finance Minister and Economic Advisor to the President Seth Emmanuel Terkper called for innovative financing mechanisms including public-private partnerships, infrastructure bonds, pension funds and capital market instruments to bridge the gap. He stressed that sustainable infrastructure financing remains central to Ghana’s ambition of attaining upper-middle-income status.
FIDIC Global Vice President Manish Kothari acknowledged Africa’s depth of talent and innovation but noted the continent remains disproportionately exposed to climate change impacts.
FIDIC Africa President Eng. Qadri Sayed Rizwan urged stronger alliances among governments, engineers, financial institutions, development partners and private sector actors to ensure infrastructure projects are properly designed, financed and delivered.
The conference closed with a Gala Dinner and awards ceremony honouring consulting engineers from Ghana and across Africa for distinguished service to their associations and to FIDIC Africa.
