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The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of i Engineering(iENG), Amid Sahyoun has said Ghana has one of the best democratic governance systems in Africa and given its friendly business environment, there is high level confidence in the economy.

"We are also excited by the resolve of the country leaders to boost power generation capacity of the country to the point where the country becomes a net exporter of power to the sub region," he added.

Below is the full question and answer session: 

1.       What is your perspective of Africa and its potential in the Power Market?

Africa is growing above the global average and this is driving demand for power to support industrialization. And due to the infrastructural deficit on the continent, demand for power will continue to grow and so we are targeting to contribute in the building / expansion of the HV and EHV Transmission Networks across the continent. We also expect to participate in the Design and Build of solar power projects.

2.       How long have you been doing business in Africa and what are some of your success stories?

We started operation in Africa in 2007 and have excelled in the telecommunication infrastructure business with over 1000 transmission steel towers erected since 2007

3.       Africa is aiming for renewable & sustainable energy sources. How is IENG placed facilitating the achievement of this vision?

I engineering and sister companies of Greenpoles and ekistruct possess the know-how and capabilities in the design and implementation of solar projects, operation and maintenance (O&M).

4.       What are your major strengths and how does it translate to helping the growth of Africa in relation to Power?

I engineering has the ability to work in different parts of the Electrical power sector, ranging from power generation to Power Transmission and Distribution solutions and turnkey Projects. Our Services extends also beyond project design and execution, to operation and maintenance services to provide post-commissioning preventative maintenance and incident response. We work with key stakeholders to design the optimum configuration and provide the resources and manpower for construction and commissioning. We operate according to the highest health and safety standards to deliver secure and reliable performance.

5.       What are your experiences and expectations in doing business in Ghana?

We had participated in major telecom network projects in Ghana. We built over 1000 different sites of transmission steel towers. We possess the know-how in structural design capabilities, the supply, and erection of all type of steel structures including power transmission lines.

Our power division, also possesses the capabilities to build and operate solar PV farms power plants.

6.       What are some of the challenges you encountering whiles doing business in Africa or Are there some specific trade barriers or challenges you think are a hinder to your business in the African sub-region?

There is huge potential for doing business in Africa since the region has massive infrastructure deficit. The main challenges we face working in Africa are the volatility of the various currencies as well as high inflation rates making it hard to forecast and plan properly.

7.       Are there special projects you want to execute in Africa?

Our medium to long term vision is to embark on Power Transmission projects and Solar Power Generation Projects

 8.       What’s your level of confidence in the Ghanaian economy and what were your major factors of considering continuing your investments here

Ghana has one of the best democratic governance systems in Africa and given its friendly business environment, we have high level confidence in the economy and intend to continue operational existence into the foreseeable future. We are also excited by the resolve of the country leaders to boost power generation capacity of the country to the point where the country becomes a net exporter of power to the sub region.

 9.       How do you adapt to changing trends in power generation since the African market dependency on your products is a given but what about the western world and other regions.

We are a dynamic well established company, ready to deploy and mobilize all necessary resources to respond to the market demand. Having identified the growth in the power industry, and the expansion of the electrical grid, we are flexible in deploying key resources in the participation in the growth of the electrical grid.

10.   How is your participation in POWERELEC GHANA going to contribute to your business growth in Africa.

Participation in POWERELEC GHANA will bring us closer to the clients and end-users in the power industry. It will also provide the forum in Identifying key stakeholders. In addition, it will help us to identify potential partners for collaboration in the delivery of broad spectrum of full turnkey projects,

11.   What is your expectation for this year’s event and would you be part of it next year?

We expect to showcase fully to stakeholders, ieng capabilities in the design and implementation power transmission structures, solar power systems and related activities. We also expect to network with potential companies willing to collaborate in the delivery of power systems in Africa.

12. What is the vision of IENG in the next 10years and where or how does Africa play a role in this vision?

 The vision of ieng is to be the active player in the building and expansion of power systems across the continent and to enhance ieng presence worldwide.