As Ghana grapples with recurring incidents of building collapses, Road and Building Consultant, Ing. Kwabena Bempong, says the problem is not that Ghana lacks the laws required to ensure safe construction.
He argues that the challenge lies in how those laws are implemented and enforced. Speaking in an interview with The High Street Journal, the engineering expert argued that the country already possesses the legal and policy framework needed to prevent most structural failures.
For him, what is needed, he says, is a deliberate focus on what he describes as the “Four Es”, which are Education, Engineering, Enforcement, and Emergency Services.
According to him, these four pillars represent the foundation upon which a safe, resilient, and secure built environment can be established.
Education
The first pillar, according to Ing. Bempong, is education. While building regulations exist, he believes many developers, property owners, artisans, and even some construction practitioners remain unaware of the risks associated with ignoring approved procedures and professional guidance.
Education, he argues, should go beyond occasional public campaigns. It must become a continuous national effort involving local assemblies, professional bodies, educational institutions, and the media.
By ensuring that property owners understand why building permits are necessary, why professional supervision matters, and why engineering standards cannot be compromised, the country can significantly reduce the number of unsafe structures entering the built environment.
Engineering
Ing. Bempong tells The High Street Journal that the second pillar is engineering. According to him, many building failures occur because professional engineering principles are either ignored or completely absent during construction.
From structural calculations and material specifications to site supervision and quality control, engineering expertise remains indispensable throughout the building process.
He notes that some developers attempt to save costs by bypassing engineers and architects, relying instead on informal construction practices that expose occupants to significant risks.
Such practices, he warns, often create hidden structural defects that only become evident when buildings are subjected to heavy loads, environmental pressures, or simply the test of time.
Ensuring that qualified professionals are involved from design through completion would dramatically improve the safety and durability of Ghana’s buildings.
Enforcement
While education and engineering are critical, Ing. Bempong believes enforcement remains the weakest link in the country’s building regulatory system.
For him, if the country has laws but refuses to strictly enforce them, then it is better not to have them at all.
He acknowledged that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) often face capacity constraints, including inadequate staffing and limited technical expertise.
However, he insists that these challenges should not become excuses for inaction. Instead, he proposes that assemblies create a pool of certified engineers, architects, and other professionals who can be engaged on demand to support the permitting, inspection, and supervision processes.
Under such a system, construction drawings, structural calculations, and building specifications would undergo rigorous professional review before approval. Projects would also be monitored throughout construction to ensure compliance with approved plans.
More importantly, such a framework would establish clear accountability. The absence of accountability, he believes, has allowed non-compliance and negligence to thrive within the construction sector.
For Ghana to address the persistent problem of building collapses, enforcement must move from paper to practice.
Emergency Services
The final pillar in ensuring a secure and safe built environment, Ing. Bempong says, is emergency services.
According to him, even the most robust systems cannot entirely eliminate risk. Therefore, the country must maintain strong emergency response mechanisms capable of minimising casualties when disasters occur.
He pointed to recent building collapse incidents where emergency responders, including the police, military, fire service, local assemblies, and disaster management agencies, had to work together to rescue victims and recover trapped individuals.
These coordinated interventions, he noted, are critical in reducing fatalities and preventing further loss of life and property. Emergency preparedness should therefore form an integral part of urban planning and building safety management.
This includes equipping rescue agencies with modern tools, conducting regular simulations, improving response times, and strengthening inter-agency collaboration. While the goal is to prevent disasters from occurring, the ability to respond effectively when they do remains equally important.
Beyond Laws: The Need for Action
Ing. Bempong’s Four Es framework offers a practical roadmap for addressing one of Ghana’s most persistent urban development challenges.
He is of the view that Ghana’s problem is not a shortage of policies or regulations. The country has developed many of the laws required to ensure building safety.
The real challenge lies in transforming those laws into visible action through continuous education, professional engineering, strict enforcement, and effective emergency response systems.
