Post Ghana: Introducing David

There are loads of impressive buildings all over Accra. In fact, when people talk of development they usually refer to the construction industry. I wanted to find out more so I decided to speak to someone who works in the industry. This is David. He is a local architect with his own business. His wife is an executive director of an international advertising company; his teenage children attend fee-paying schools.

WG: Okay, so I just want people who read the blog to know a bit about how you live. What car do you drive?
David: Mazda Pick up 2.7 ltr
WG: How many bedrooms are in your house?
David: Five
WG: How many domestic helpers do you have?
David: Three
WG: Now your job. Where did you train?
David: Bucharest, Romania



WG: How many people does your company employ?
David: Eight
WG: I have seen some very grand buildings in Accra. How much would it cost to design and build an eight bedroom mansion in an area like Airport or East Legon?
David: A 100'x100' (feet) plot would cost about US$30,000 and the house would be about US$80,000.
WG: How much would it cost to design and build a regional hospital?
David: It is hard to say. One hospital I worked on cost approximately 35 m (sterling ) (excluding consultancy fees).
WG: That's more than I thought it would be
David: There is a very funny phenomenon here in Ghana. Construction costs are high mainly because almost all the building materials are imported and, for a hospital, just add the cost of shipping all the equipment and paying the foreign 'experts' to install them plus their five star hotel bills - must I go on? It's even worse if the hospital is being built by the same people who are providing the loan for it.

WG: What do you think is the biggest problem facing Ghanaians today?

David: Misplaced priorities in terms of development.
WG: What are your hopes for the future?

David: One day, we will be able to enjoy the real fruits of our labour. There is a lot of money being generated in the country but most of it is unaccounted for, if these monies were to be utilised properly we would not need to borrow so much from the West
WG: Have you ever thought of leaving Ghana to live abroad?

David: Never!

WG: Wow, why such a strong answer?
David: It's not that I would never live abroad. It's just that I haven't thought about it simply because I believe a person can be or do whatever he or she wants no matter where they are located. I was born in Togo, I started primary school in Egypt, I was confirmed in Pakistan, I started secondary school in London and I went to university in Romania. From my experiences and from hearing those of my friends, I have come to believe that it's what you do, not where you are that makes a life worthwhile.

WG: What would you like people who read this blog to know about Ghana today? David: Ghana is a fast growing economy with lots of investment potential. As they say, the early bird catches the worm so, those who get in the market early will stand a very good chance of making a profitable investment. It's also a cool place to hang out.