Engineers plan student chapters in schools

Towards fostering student interest in future careers and study in engineering and technology, the Nigerian Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (NIEEE), plans to establish its student’s chapters in polytechnics and universities in Lagos state and its environs.

This is to further develop relationships with local schools and improve the fortune of the profession especially among the young engineers who are considered as the future of engineering profession in Nigeria.

The fifth Chairman of Lagos branch of NIEEE, Mojeed Olaosegba stated this at the 2017 Award and his investiture ceremony in Lagos. He said the idea would help to inculcate in them the necessary ethics, boost quality and lift them to a greater height in life.

Aside, he reiterated that in line with the vision and mission of the institution, the institution would partner with government and relevant agencies within the public and private sectors as well as other sister engineering bodies in order to bring about the much needed improvement in the way engineering is being managed especially in the power sector.

He said: “It is our plan to institute an award in honour of best graduating student in the department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of the University of Lagos before its next convocation. We shall strive to replicate this as much as possible in other institutions in Lagos in the nearest future.

“This becomes necessary in order to celebrate academic success and the quest for professionalism in science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). We shall promote training, more robust technical presentation and leadership grooming amongst others, for our members”.

In a lecture titled, “Energy Efficiency Methods: An Opportunity to create value in our organizations”, Dr. Robinson Ehiorobo, lamented that the nation is losing over N860 billion annually due to lack of energy efficient application philosophy.

To surmount the challenge, he called for a review of the method used in providing street -light in urban area, which seems to be wasteful, a review of the use of absorbent and Ehudent design in providing streetlight in the village. He also canvassed for the need to address the visible wastages due to poor quality of utility supply, eliminate the challenge of low power factor and the need for professionals to create value in their respective communities.

“Report indicates that most engineers are concerned only about their comfort. The profession in Nigeria is among the worst to apply and become member, as it requires over N300, 000 to join unlike United Kingdom, United States of America and South Africa with minimum of N50, 000 only.

We need efficiency application likewise in this regard. I want to challenge all of us to use our profession and help our village to develop and grow, let the change begin with me and you”

According to him, the only way the urban and villages locations could be electrified is to go the way of renewable energy, which has become so efficient in solving the challenge of constant power supply and a viable mainstream option for future power generation for the country.

For him, energy efficiency could be used to create value in organizations if modern technologies are used to analyze colloquial street lighting project nationwide, improve power factor for industrial load, using efficient energy saving LED lamps for our lighting load demand, use of On-load tap changers (OLTC) for electrical networks and industrial application.