Engineers seek new policies, industrial hubs for development

Engineers have called on the government to initiate and pursue policies that will help in industrialising the country.

They said the nation never lacked industrial policies, what was absent was the political will, continuity, and enthusiasm of the administrative class, which resulted in the abandonment of most policies.

President, Nigerian Society of Engineers, (NSE), Babagana Muhammed, led the call at the inauguration of Christian Ufot as the 9th chairman of the Apapa Branch.

He stressed that weak legislation; judiciary and government policies have made the world leave Nigeria behind in terms of industrialisation.

According to him, many people are not interested in doing business with Nigeria as a result of weak legislation in the country.

Investors, he said, could not come into a country where laws could not protect their investments.

On his part, the Managing Director, Kresta Laurel Limited, Dideolu Falobi, who expounded on the theme: “Industrialise Nigeria- Now or Now”, highlighted the critical role of industrialisation to the nation’s economic development.

Bemoaning the effect of Nigeria’s 60 years over-dependence on oil, Falobi urged engineers to take an active role in setting -up industries in the country.

He lamented that the country is suffering from all sorts of maladies because of a lack of industrialisation.

He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the industrial sector to protect existing industries while new ones should be established to save the nation from the recession, hunger, crime, and other negative effects.

On his part, the new Chairman, Christian Ufot, said the absence of industries was increasing the rate of joblessness and insecurity in the country.

He advised the government to give priority to the importation of raw materials for industrial use.
IN a related development, the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), Lagos State chapter, has urged the Federal Government to create more industrial hubs in the country to boost the nation’s readiness for Fourth Industrial Revolution.

According to the institution, industrial development should be vigorously pursued for overall economic development.

The Chairman of NIMechE, Dr. Uche Obiajulu, made the plea during the institutions’ engineering week, where he urged President Buhari to adopt proactive measures for Nigeria to keep pace with technological trends.

Obiajulu said the nation, with its several research bodies and agencies, must synergise to ensure industrial development in every part of the country.

He said, “An industrial park means there will be a place that people in operational research will transform their prototypes and theorems into commercial production. Government should set up operational committees for research and development. The committees will build an industrial park specifically for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

He said the process would give opportunities to manufacturers and researchers to work toward speedy inventions.

Obiajulu advised the government to empower mechanical engineers to take up the challenge of bridging the gap for Nigeria to be part of the production process for the nation’s advancement.

He observed that China as a nation encouraged the practice of engineering in such a way that 95 per cent of its professionals had the knowledge and urged the Federal Government to provide similar support for engineers in Nigeria.

Obiajulu disclosed that the engineering week was planned to carry out awareness on the importance of engineering to the society, adding that, “no nation can develop beyond its engineering.”

He stated urged the government to patronise its engineers.

Obiajulu said the country had the best professionals in the world, which should be used for actualising developmental projects.