Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) has a significant lack of engineering capacity that is hindering progress towards achieving development goals, from the provision of basic sanitation to the reduction of rural poverty. This lack of capacity manifests in a shortage of engineers with the skills and experience needed.
This is the key message of a report by the Africa-UK Engineering for Development Partnership (A-UK) of which the Royal Academy of Engineering is a partner. The report was launched on Monday 29 October at an event which included speakers Professor Calestous Juma HonFREng, Professor of the Practice of International Development at Harvard, Dr Sanzan Diarra, CEO of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers and Jo da Silva OBE FREng, Director of International Development at Arup.
Engineering capacity needs in Sub Saharan Africa is the first international study on this issue and highlights the need for a considerable increase in engineering capacity to promote the economic and social development of the countries, through better healthcare, access to education and an attractive environment for foreign investment.
The report, which is based on a series of surveys and interviews of professional engineers and stakeholders across the Sub Saharan African region, provides recommendations to governments, international agencies, educational and professional institutions and industry on how engineering capacity can be strengthened.
Findings from the study indicate that the low engineering capacity in the region may be due to limited government investment in the development of engineering skills, an absence of knowledge transfer from foreign engineering firms and brain drain of engineering to other sectors and countries.
The report makes recommendations to tackle the capacity problem, including investment in research, mapping capacity needs, improving education, the pursuit of intelligent industrial policies and putting engineering at the heart of public policy-making.
Sir William Wakeham FREng, Senior Vice President and Honorary International Secretary of the Academy, who chaired the launch event, said: "While there is variation between countries, it is evident that, right across Sub Saharan Africa, the engineering sector suffers from a shortage of skilled and experienced engineers. Overcoming the causes of low capacity will be a formidable task but progress can be made in the fields of education, policy making, strengthening of professional bodies and in better engaging the private sector to benefit Africa and the global engineering community."
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