African Engineers: Frank Robertson Jnr
Frank Robertson Jnr was not strictly an Africa engineer. He was, nonetheless, an Afro-American engineer from Texas who worked effectively in Ghana for much more than 20 several years. Coming back home to Africa in the 1960s, at the invitation of Kwame Nkrumah, he ran a small engineering enterprise in Accra until falling out with his fellow Afro-American organization spouse in the early 1980s. Then, presenting his products and services to the United States Agency for Intercontinental Improvement (USAID), he was appointed Technological Adviser to Ghana’s second Intermediate Technology Transfer Device (ITTU) slowly coming into existence at Tamale in the Northern Region. A all-natural ideal technologist, Frank Robertson excelled in this purpose, and it was mainly to his credit rating that the ITTU gained the aid of the local people and became a substantial engine of adjust in a person of Ghana’s most deprived areas.
From 1975 until finally 1979 the Technological know-how Consultancy Centre (TCC) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Know-how (KNUST), Kumasi, searched for monetary aid for the ITTU strategy. It was the intention of the TCC engineers to track down the very first ITTU in the centre of Ghana’s premier informal industrial area, Suame Magazine in Kumasi. By 1979, USAID and the Canadian Global Advancement Agency (CIDA) experienced agreed in theory to help an ITTU, but both equally businesses wished it located in the north of Ghana, hundreds of kilometres from the TCC in Kumasi. Following further more lengthy negotiations, CIDA was persuaded to assist the ITTU at Suame and USAID opted for Tamale, the capital of the Northern Location. Each USAID and CIDA appointed technical advisers to operate with the TCC and the gentleman selected to aid build the Tamale ITTU was Frank Robertson.
Frank Robertson experienced labored for quite a few many years as the manager of All-Afra Engineering Ltd in Accra. During this interval Frank noticed a need for an affordable electric welding established and taught two modest workshops to manufacture these equipment and offer you them for sale. This was one particular of the earliest examples of engineering production in Ghana and copies of Frank’s welder have been soon being produced not only in Accra but in Kumasi, Tema and other urban centres. This development had a mass influence in helping several young individuals established up in self-work as jobbing welders. All-Afra’s perform was generally anxious with new building, plant set up and repairs for formal sector industries and Frank experienced couple other possibilities to operate with the informal sector until he joined the Tamale ITTU crew in the early 1980s.
The university’s Section of Architecture experienced built a new building for the Tamale ITTU and USAID brought a pre-fabricated construction from the United states. Even so, all making products were being in shorter supply, which include cement and metal reinforcing rods and it was believed that there would be a two-yr hold off just before the foundations and floor slab would be all set.
Frank was not information to sit and hold out, so he proposed creating an Ideal Know-how Club (ATC) in the significant back garden of the Challenge Adviser’s bungalow. He invited young adult men and girls to appear and try out their ideas for new smaller enterprises. With a centre lathe and electric powered welding established Frank converted the garage into a mechanical workshop. With function benches below shade trees, engineers and carpenters started making weaving looms and beehives to styles equipped by the TCC and cotton spinning wheels of Frank’s individual structure, as well as prototypes built to examination strategies submitted by users of the ATC. Before long Frank was education cotton spinners on the veranda of the bungalow and broadloom weavers in the major hall. A beehive some distance off beneath yet another shade tree provided an early prospect for coaching beekeepers. Frank was identified that by the time the ITTU constructing was all set there would be a nucleus of exercise on which to create. He experienced also ensured the goodwill and entire cooperation of the community which took to heart all that Frank was performing for their gain.
Before Frank still left Tamale in August 1986 the ITTU constructing had been finished and all its plant mounted, which include a nicely-equipped machine shop, a welding and metal fabrication store, a carpentry workshop, an iron foundry and a 60KVA standby generator. Frank known as it the finest engineering workshop north of the Volta River. The people of Tamale looked on Frank as God’s reward to their local community and many expressed their grief at his remaining departure. Frank would have preferred to continue to be. He remaining due to the fact his Ghanaian spouse could see no upcoming for their expected little one in Flight Lieutenant Rawlings’ innovative Ghana. She persuaded Frank to just take his relatives back again to Texas. Invited by 1 head of condition, repelled by an additional, Frank did his ideal for the continent of his forebears. It was a ideal that will be very long remembered in Tamale.
