The Member of Parliament for Bantama and former Minister of Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has commissioned a fully equipped Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Laboratory at the Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The facility, funded by the Bantama Asenso-Boakye Foundation, is expected to significantly enhance the practical training of planning students and support data-driven urban development across Ghana.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Asenso-Boakye, an alumnus of the department, emphasised the critical importance of GIS tools in contemporary planning.
“Today’s planners must not only think theoretically but must also be equipped with spatial analysis tools to inform decision-making,” he said.
He expressed hope that the lab would grow into a center of excellence for research and innovation in urban development, housing, and infrastructure.
The event also featured a commitment by the MP to partner with KNUST in launching a new Research Hub focused on policy-relevant planning and data-driven development.
The initiative forms part of sAsenso-Boakye’s broader commitment to bridging the gap between academia and national development planning.
By: Bright Yeboah
