Promotional trip to Ghana - July 2012

The Profession in Ghana

Tales of two visitors to Accra and Kumasi in the summer of 2012

In July 2012, the Worshipful Company of Actuaries and the UK Actuarial Profession, Adrian Waddingham and Neil Hilary, duly set their video recorders to catch the key moments of the Olympics, dosed themselves with every repellent known to British medicine and headed south for Ghana. Their task was a simple one: to boost the strength of the local actuarial population.

They had been asked to assist the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to establish a masters course in actuarial science, by supplying a series of young actuaries on brief visits who would assist in the teaching of the courses. The Worshipful Company of Actuaries had promised to use its influence and connections to persuade employers to release their students for a period of two weeks to provide sessions which promised to be both challenging and self-finding.

The KNUST Director of Education met the two UK actuaries and drove them six hours north to Kumasi – the roads were of variable quality but the conversation was sparkling and informative. This was followed by three days on campus with senior figures from the University.

The actuarial course that they were helping was a Master’s Degree in Actuarial Science. They have already enrolled some 15 – 25 students. In fact many of the students will study part-time, coming to Kumasi for lectures at the weekend; they will be working, the majority in Accra, Monday to Friday. Whilst this may not be ideal for an actuarial course, it is necessary in Ghana: there is much unemployment there, and those graduates in work would be most reluctant to take the risk of giving up one job and then struggling to find a new one; study release does not exist.

By the time that Adrian and Neil flew back to Blighty, they felt triply enriched – by the warmth of welcome and friendship shown, by the determination of the Ghanaians to invest in the future of their country and by the wondrous local cuisine and earthy beers. Both were determined that this project would succeed.