GhanaaBuildingGreater
WRITTEN BY Laura Watling PROJECT DIRECTED BY Jamie Waite 2 Issue 107 · Business Enquirer Magazine
CONPROGhanaaBuildingGreaterLimited is one of Ghana’s leading construction consultancy firms with a drive to better society.
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CONPRO
Established in 2004 by Richard Quaynor, the CEO aims to pass on his entrepreneurial experience to the young people of Ghana, enabling them with the tools to grow both the country and themselves.
With 73 staff based in offices in Kumasi (where the business was established) and Ghana’s capital, Accra, CONPRO Limited offers a network of construction professionals for construction and infrastructure projects. The CEO speaks with Business Enquirer’s Laura Watling about the impact CONPRO is making to build a greater Ghana.
“I have always believed in working with young peo ple. They are the biggest part of our population in Ghana so there is a pool of people we can educate with the required industry skills,” explained Richard.
“In partnership with the Ministry of Education we have embarked on an emergency schools proj ect to fulfil the demand,” said Richard, “we have been upgrading the master plans for the secondary schools free of charge. Not only does this bring val ue for the client, it also improves the work we do, bringing it in line with modern demands”.
In addition, the business is engaged in a govern ment-funded project to build state-of-the-art STEM schools in each district of Ghana. So far, the projects have been initiated in 11 districts.
“It is important that these schools offer the best, to encourage the pupils to go,” Richard explained. Furthering its work in the education sector, CONPRO Limited has undertaken engineering and technical works at the former University of Education, Winneba (Kumasi campus). Current ly known as Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Develop ment, CONPRO Limited have been designing the university’s infrastructure. It is important that these schools offer the best, to encourage the pupils to go. “ “
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In 2021, Conpro sponsored 12 of its staff in Building Services, an area in which the business needed to develop. This also enabled the local university to establish a Building Services pro gramme which can be continued.
CONPRO
“Not only did we upskill our own staff, this also as sisted the government to establish the university programme which will help to build the construc tion sector in Ghana,” Richard shared.
The business continues to train its staff in areas it considers to have a weakness. “I also consider it important to support young Ghanaians in develop ing entrepreneurial skills. If these employees go on to run their own businesses I never see them as com petitors. They become a network of CONPROs which can better our infrastructure and society,” he said.
In 2017, the Ghanaian government started the role out of a nationwide free senior school poli cy. As such, the pupil numbers increased astro nomically, calling for the demand of more infra structure in the schools.
Richard considers his business as an op portunity to equip the youth of Ghana to build a better life.
Richard Quaynor, CEO, CONPRO
Building Better Education Conpro’s client list includes Ghana National Pe troleum Company and Ghana’s Ministry of Ed Theucation.latter allows CONPRO to play a key role in the construction of educational institutions in Ghana.
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“We trained our team to work remotely, and as such our project management skills improved. We now have a hybrid working system with a successful and effective project management system,” explained Likewise,Richard. delays in supply chains have rein forced to CONPRO the importance of countries being self-sufficient.
CONPRO
“For 12 years we have had a 300 ha teak planta tion, we have always believed in sustainability and self-sufficiency,” said Richard.
With the current global economy teetering on a precipice, Richard is aware that CONPRO must be galvanised to think differently.
“If the government’s budget is affected, infrastructure projects will reduce. We are positioning ourselves to be able to expand into the private sector,” he said.
“Our challenges become our opportunities,” ex plained Richard, “we have a lot of natural re sources we can work with in Africa, for example the sun. By positioning builds in a certain direction we can benefit from solar or reduce the use of A/C by designing for cross ventilation”. Builds can also be made more cost effective by using bricks, which don’t need to be plastered and painted. “Again, this gives us an opportunity to upskill peo ple in Ghana, teaching artisanal constructors how to work with bricks,” Richard shared.
Of course, CONPRO Limited has faced the same recent challenges as virtually any construction company the world over, namely Covid and the conflict in Ukraine. Once again, however, CONPRO has sought opportunity out of these challenges. Like the rest of the world, Covid caused lock downs in Ghana, meaning many of CONPRO’s staff needed to adapt to working from home.
“The research and technical centre and operation al centre are both Leadership in Energy and Envi ronmental Design (LEED) projects, which is giving us the opportunity to develop our experience and knowledge in sustainable builds,” Richard said, “we can then take this experience and implement it into other projects”. Richard highlighted that sustainable practices can be difficult to implement in Africa, as a lot of the sustainability programmes are geared to wards developed countries.
LEEDing the way Its work for GNPC has enabled CONPRO Limited to better its experience in the sustainable sphere. Currently it is undertaking three flagship proj ects with the petroleum company - its research and technical centre and corporate head office, both in Accra, and an operational office.
Seeking the Opportunities
CONPRO
The Next Generation of CONPRO Looking at the next 12-18 months, Richard sees exciting but challenging times for both himself and CONPRO. “I have always said it’s important to exit the stage when the applause is loudest,” explained Richard, “and so in January 2023 I will take a step back from the business”. Although it’s time for Richard to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation, he still intends to keep a hand in with the business on a consul tancy basis. “It’s time for the next generation to take the lead with CONPRO. I hope that the 12 people we spon sored last year will go on to educate another 12 people and so on. A network of “mini CONPROs” can then be developed,” he said. Richard’s unique education has helped him to develop his leadership style and ethos on life. Having completed his degree in Ghana, Richard went on to study his master in civil engineering in Ukraine. “I gained my social philosophy from my time in the Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union. I be lieve in providing for society’s disadvantaged and yet also understand the importance of giving op portunities and incentives to work hard,” Richard Afterexplained.histime in Ukraine, Richard returned to Ghana, working as a district engineer and then as a civil engineer on EU projects. “I worked on five simple but instrumental proj ects,” he said, “these were for schools and medical centres. They changed the lives of people in the re gion both socially and economically. This taught me to always think about the impact on the end-user” Africa is Ready When speaking to Business Enquirer, Richard had a very clear message: “Africa is ready”. “Africa needs to be looked at differently. We have one of the biggest opportunities for solar energy and agriculture, but we need partnerships for these to take off,” said Richard, “investments need to come to Africa and stay in Africa, and consider how opportunities can benefit the disadvantaged. Let our people utilise the skills they are developing by working for businesses like CONPRO Limited”. www.conprolimited.com
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Africa needs to be looked at differently. We have one of the biggest opportunities for solar energy and agriculture, but we need partnerships for these to take off.
www.conprolimited.com
CONPRO Limited
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