Renowned Ghanaian business mogul Sir Sam Jonah has launched a huge campaign for building industry players to research and implement solutions using local soil instead of importing cement at huge costs to the disadvantage of the country.
Sir Jonah made a forceful critique of the country’s modern architecture, accusing practitioners of neglecting local identity and contributing to a massive drain on foreign exchange reserves through an over-reliance on imported cement.
The statesman and mining executive, with investments in the real estate sector, challenged the profession to rediscover an authentic Ghanaian architectural aesthetic rooted in local materials and sustainable design wisdom.
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Ghana remains heavily dependent on cement imports, as the nation has no significant local clinker production—clinker being the essential ingredient for cement. This means that a large portion of the cost of every modern structure is transferred abroad.
“The over-reliance on cement in a nation with no significant clinker production is not only environmentally concerning—it’s a fiscal burden. Every tonne imported chips away at our foreign exchange reserves,” he stated.
“What research have we done to find anything so wrong with the creative use of mud, laterite, and timber that we abandon time-tested methods for imported materials that drain our economy and harm the environment?”
The Fiscal and Cultural Cost of Imitation
Sir Sam Jonah questioned the current design philosophy, which he argued leads to buildings that are “indistinguishable from each other—soulless boxes of concrete, steel, and imported finishes.”
He contrasted this trend of global imitation with the economic reality facing the nation.
“Why the over-reliance of imported cement when Ghana has local soil? Sam Jonah asks architects the gathering of architects while delivering a speech at the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA) Annual General Meeting in Cape Coast on Thursday, November 11.
The businessman highlighted that this architectural choice is not merely aesthetic; it is a fiscal burden.
While specific import figures fluctuate, Ghana spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on cement and related building materials. This expenditure puts severe pressure on the Cedi and undermines efforts to stabilise the national economy.
A Challenge to Architectural Identity
Sir Sam Jonah argued that architects are failing to build for Ghana’s unique climate, culture, and context. He urged them to look to their own history and environment for inspiration.
“Are we content to mimic the opulence and heights of Dubai while neglecting the earthiness and verdancy of Dodowa? Are we happy to spend heavily to import cement while ignoring the genius of our ancestors who built entire habitats with mud, laterite, and timber—materials that breathe in harmony with the land?”
He stressed that Ghana is “blessed with clay, timber, coconut husks and laterite” but continues to build as if no alternatives exist.
Africa’s Example: Mud and Bamboo
The Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital pointed to fellow African nations that are successfully pioneering modern, local-material architecture, offering viable models for GIA members:
- Burkina Faso: Known for its innovative use of mud (laterite) as a medium for architectural glory, successfully blending traditional techniques with modern engineering.
- Kenya: Utilises bamboo, which is being “engineered into elegant structural forms”, demonstrating high-tech integration of natural resources.
Sir Sam Jonah concluded his address by issuing a direct mandate to the Ghana Institute of Architects:
“I challenge this Institute: make it your mission to make local beautiful again. Let local materials not be a compromise but a statement of pride, creativity, and sustainability.”
He called the issue a “national imperative for thought-leadership in architecture and the built environment,” demanding that the Institute lead the way in forging a distinctive Ghanaian architectural aesthetic and voice.