Douglas Boateng receives IMM Institute Supply Chain Lifetime Achievement Award

Professor Douglas K. Boateng was honored with the 2026 IMM Institute Supply Chain Lifetime Achievement Award, making him only the second recipient of this distinction since the IMM Institute's establishment in 1948. The award was announced on September 29, 2026, in Accra and Johannesburg. Professor Boateng, Africa's first Professor Extraordinaire in Supply Chain Management, has dedicated nearly three decades to the field, with expertise in industry advisory, academia, public policy, and professional institutions.

IMM Institute CEO Irene Gregory praised Boateng's substantial contributions to supply chain management in Africa, particularly in South Africa. She highlighted his impact on elevating the strategic importance of supply chain management, developing the profession and institutions, and supporting practitioners across the continent.

Boateng expressed his profound humility and gratitude upon receiving the award, emphasizing the responsibility to continue sharing knowledge and supporting the next generation. He noted that African countries must strengthen and integrate their supply chains to achieve industrialization, capitalize on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and implement the objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Boateng stressed the need to move beyond mere trading and develop interconnected value chains, linking minerals, agriculture, manufacturing, technology, finance, logistics, professional expertise, and consumer markets. He emphasized the importance of mentorship and knowledge transfer, stating that the award should intensify, not end, his professional responsibilities.

Boateng warned that Africa's challenge lies not only in participating in global supply chains but also in developing robust African supply chains that can transform the continent's resources into competitive products, industries, and jobs.