The department has the privilege to welcome Ing. Kwasi Poku who received his high school education at Achimota School. He then proceeded to Clarkson University in the US, where he obtained the BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering in 1969 and 1971, respectively. He is the principal shareholder and Managing Consultant of Cort Consultants Ltd, a pioneer multi-disciplinary consultancy firm in Accra, offering services in Process Engineering, Industrial Project Design and Management, Environmental and Safety Management, Business Development and Programming. Lately, he is on assignment with the Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Liberia, as Project Preparation and Start-up Coordinator for the World-Bank-supported Smallholder Tree Crop Revitalization Support Project. He is the author of the book, Adventures in African Industrialization, 2023.  

During the meeting Ing. Kwasi Poku provided a brief review of his childhood and educational background. He then share his perspectives on the food processing industries in Africa, including their technical, marketing, organizational, and financial aspects. Based on his experiences, he offered some reflections on the challenges and opportunities presented by the local political environments as well as external factors, such as international aid agencies and financial institutions. Finally, he hopes that his adventures may encourage the youth among his listeners to seek their own adventures in Africa’s future technological development.