New NSE President pledges to champion engineering solutions
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has called on the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to address the country’s inadequate infrastructure and advancement in technology.
During the Investiture of Margaret Oguntala as the 34th President of NSE at the weekend in Abuja, Akpabio said Nigerian engineers “have the responsibility” to design and implement sustainable solutions that will drive economic growth, improve the quality of life for citizens and create an environment conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship.
He observed that Nigeria possesses immense potential for growth, but lacking the proper infrastructure to fully harness this potential.
According to Akpabio, Nigerian engineers are making serious impact globally and breaking new grounds, leading the way in technological innovation; hence, he charged the NSE to reach out to Nigerian engineers in the Diaspora and urge them to come home and share their skills.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker implored the NSE to pay immediate attention to the enhancement of engineering education and equip engineers with the necessary skills and knowledge to compete on a global scale.
This, he said, can be achieved through partnerships with educational institutions, industry leaders and professional organisations, adding that by fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, Nigerian engineers would be armed with the latest tools and techniques to tackle complex engineering problems.
In her address, Oguntala expressed the commitment of NSE to pursue innovation and technological advancement that would accelerate development of the country.
She stated that the NSE under her leadership would encourage research, support startups and champion engineering solutions that would address Nigeria’s unique challenges and position the country as a hub for engineering.
Oguntala urged the Federal Government to formulate policies for fair welfare packages/hazard allowances for engineers and implement, with sincerity of purpose, the Executive Order 5 for Planning and Execution of Projects Promotion of Nigerian Content in Contracts and Science, Engineering and Technology.
She appealed to the government to promote Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education for more students to pursue careers in engineering, and create an enabling environment for collaborations between engineering companies and universities for developing new technologies, as no nation can grow without intentional support of Research and Development (R&D).
Oguntala disclosed that the NSE is prioritising Vocational Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (VSTEM) education to empower future leaders, adding that strategic endowments would support dedicated institutions in ensuring the thriving of STEM education for a generation of STEM leaders.
She urged the government to nominate engineers for the ‘Policy Coordination, Evaluation, Monitoring and Delivery Unit’ which President Bola Tinubu announced in his New Year speech.
