Vice-chancellor of the Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Haruna Musa, has tasked engineers under the auspices of the Nigerian Academy of Engineers (NAE) to help develop clear policies and programmes, and champion ideas that could tackle the myriad of developmental challenges facing the nation.

Musa made the call yesterday in Lagos at the investiture of the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umaru Danbatta, as the 14th President of the NAE, also attended by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folashade Ogunshola, and other doyens of the engineering profession in Nigeria.

Musa noted that Nigeria stands at a critical juncture where professionals must urgently tighten their belts to address critical challenges, including those in the transportation sector, energy deficit, and insecurity, among others.

“We are yet to harness the abundant renewable resources we have in this country. We need to, as a matter of priority, take deliberate steps to transform our nation’s transport sector with the emergence of electric vehicles and compressed natural gas-powered vehicles,” he stated.

“Without technology, there is no way we can effectively deter and detect security challenges.”

He also urged the incoming president to provide evidence-based counsel to the government by championing standards and ethical practices, promoting impactful engineering through innovation and mentoring the next generation of engineers who will build safer, more resilient and sustainable infrastructure for our nation.

Meanwhile, Danbatta pledged that the new leadership will focus on strengthening the “Triple Helix” agenda, which consists of government, industry, and academia partnership. According to him, the academy will promote key strategic focus areas of the plan, which centres on transforming engineering education, including revitalising technical education, infrastructure maintenance strategy, engineering policy and advocacy, national industrialisation and manufacturing and strategic partnerships.