The President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Margaret Oguntala, has tasked professional engineers to play a critical role in developing smart cities and sustainable urban infrastructure.

Oguntala made the call at the opening of the 55th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), Accra.
    
The NSE President also restated the commitment of the association to strengthening partnerships with the Ghana Institution of Engineering and other sister institutions to drive technological advancement and sustainable development across the continent.
  
The conference served as a strategic platform for knowledge sharing, innovation, and policy recommendations aimed at engineering a smarter and more sustainable future for Ghanaian cities. With the theme “Urbanisation and Smart Cities: Engineering the Future of Ghana,” the forum attracted distinguished engineers, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss innovative strategies for sustainable urban development and the role of engineering in shaping Ghana’s cities of the future.
   
She lauded the Ghana Institution of Engineering for its dedication to advancing engineering excellence and fostering regional collaborations to address the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation.
   
Oguntala emphasised that engineers have a critical role in developing smart cities, resilient infrastructure, and sustainable urban ecosystems to support the continent’s growing population.
   
She pointed out that as professional engineers, practitioners must continue to harness emerging technologies and innovative solutions to create smart, inclusive, and sustainable cities.
   
The NSE President also stressed the need for collaboration across borders, essential in achieving the set-out vision, adding: “I’m delighted to witness the synergy between engineering bodies in Africa.”