Corrosion Institute Ghana’s (CorrIGh’s) launch of the first ever Corrosion Map for Ghana and Africa, last week, gave credence to statement by a Nigeria Professor that Ghana almost always has an element of first in whatever it does as a country.
As a result of the launch, the Accra Technical University (ATI) is collaborating with (CorrIGh) to run a short course in corrosion to sharpen the skills and knowledge of students to be competitive in the market.
This paper is reliably informed that already, meetings have been scheduled to look at the course outlines and how the programme would be ran in the institution.
Speaking at the launch, the President of Corrosion Institute Ghana, Patrick Eshun said, the map will also help recommend which type of corrosion prevention or control materials/ procedure to apply when building and how often to do so in order to achieve our maintenance goals etc.
He explained corrosion as a chemical or electrochemical reaction between a material usually a metal, and its environment that produces a deterioration of the material and its properties.
He noted that corrosion has still been a challenge in our daily lives, affecting assets, infrastructure, machinery, economy and even health.
Although it has been left unattended to, Mr. Eshun said its effects could be devastating to individuals, asset owners, firms, nations and the world at large.
According to him, NACE International’s Impact study puts the global cost of corrosion at 2.5 trillion dollars per annum, representing 3 to 4 per cent GDP of the world’s industrialized nations.
Sadly, he said well-trained and experienced corrosion professionals are very limited in number, and that only 20 percent of qualified members are 40 years of age or younger and almost 50 percent are 51 years of age or older.
Mr. Eshun explained that, “if these older professionals retire, there is a risk of a large amount of this knowledge being lost. It is against this backdrop that Corrosion Ghana Institute
For his part, a lecturer at the Accra Technical University College, Prof Amwi Acakpovi said it is a good initiative and therefore the school will give CorrIGh all the support needed to make it a success.
He also underscored the need to train the wider populace especially student about corrosion knowing the negative effects it has on the economy.
The President of Corrosion Institute South Africa (CorrISA), Creg Combrink who launched the Corrosion Map for Ghana and Africa also pledged his support for the imitative.
He said corrosion should be treated with all seriousness, because it had an adverse effects on the environment.
Mr Ebenezer Victor Owusu Addabor, the Chief Geotechnical Officer, CorrIGh, called for an integrated approach in managing corrosion, and urged industries and companies to focus on preventive measures to curb the menace.
