WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE DIRECTOR, CSIR-BRRI Held at the Breakfast Meeting with TVET Principals – BRRI, Fumesua

 

Distinguished Principals, Esteemed Colleagues, Honored Guests, Friends from the Media, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning—and on behalf of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Building and Road Research Institute (CSIR-BRRI), I warmly welcome you to our grounds here at Fumesua.
We are truly honored to host you at this strategic breakfast meeting with TVET principals from across the Ashanti Region. Your presence is not only appreciated—it is symbolic. It signals a new chapter of collaboration between Ghana’s premier construction research institute and the key educators and trainers of the future builders of this nation.

Today’s meeting is more than a dialogue—it is a statement of intent.
As you may know, BRRI is a leading institution in applied research and technology development for Ghana’s built environment. Our innovations in burnt brick construction, Pozzolana and PozzoMix cement, compressed earth blocks, and fast-track modular construction systems have contributed significantly to addressing housing deficits, reducing construction costs, and promoting the use of local building materials in Ghana.

But for research to be meaningful—it must connect with people. And that is why we are here today.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
There is an urgent national need to align research, policy, and technical training. And at BRRI, we firmly believe that the future of building construction in Ghana rests on a strong partnership between research institutions like ours and the TVET sector.

In fact, we find ourselves at a critical moment in Ghana’s development trajectory.
In the face of the rising cost of cement and other conventional building materials, and the government’s renewed commitment to social and affordable housing, it has become imperative to find sustainable, locally made solutions that are both cost-effective and scalable.
At the same time, Ghana faces a growing youth unemployment crisis. This presents an opportunity—an urgent need—for knowledge transfer and skills development that can lead to entrepreneurship in construction, fabrication, and innovation.
Let me emphasize two reasons why this partnership matters now more than ever:

Relevance of Training to Industry Needs:
Today’s construction industry is evolving rapidly, with an increasing focus on sustainability, climate-resilient technologies, and cost-effective materials. When TVET institutions are linked with research innovations, students and artisans gain exposure to cutting-edge, context-appropriate building technologies—ensuring they graduate with skills that matter.
Scaling National Impact:
No matter how powerful an innovation is, it will remain on the shelf if there are no hands to build with it. By integrating BRRI’s tested technologies into TVET curricula and field training, we can scale up adoption across the country, from classrooms to construction sites.
This is not hypothetical. In 2024, in partnership with the Youth Employment Agency, BRRI trained 250 young people in modern brick production and construction. We opened their eyes—and hands—to sustainable building alternatives using locally sourced materials. The result? Increased employment, empowered youth, and technologies that directly support Ghana’s housing agenda.

Friends from the media,
As you cover this event, we invite you to help amplify a clear message to government and the nation:
BRRI is not just a research institution—we are a national partner in delivering affordable, climate-resilient, and innovation-led construction solutions.

We stand ready to collaborate more deeply with the TVET ecosystem to ensure our youth are not just employable, but solution bearers in our quest for inclusive infrastructure development.

And so, at the end of today’s meeting, it is our great hope and intention that this spirit of collaboration will be sealed through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to formally establish a working partnership between CSIR-BRRI and TVET institutions across the region.

This will not only institutionalize our cooperation, but also provide a clear framework for scaling innovation, training, and entrepreneurship in the building sector.
As the host, I welcome your ideas, your questions, and your commitment to this shared mission.
Let us reimagine how research, skills training, and construction excellence can come together—to build a better Ghana.
Thank you—and you are warmly welcome once again.