The Directors of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Departments of the Ministry of Works and States’ Ministries of Works have been charged to reposition their profession and facilitate the re-engineering of national infrastructure to meet the innovations in the country.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Olufunsho Adebiyi, made the plea during the 45th Conference of Directors of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Departments of the Ministry of Works and States’ Ministries of Works/Infrastructure held in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Adebiyi lauded the directors for their unwavering commitment to infrastructure development and called for technology-driven professional collaboration and policy-driven solutions.

The Permanent Secretary, represented by the Director, Highways, Planning and Development, David Yiltong, said the conference is a platform for vital discussions on engineering innovation, regulatory compliance, energy transition, and workforce development.

He emphasised the ministry’s commitment to supporting the implementation of resolutions reached, particularly those in alignment with national development goals.

Also, R.O. Raheem advocated for partnerships with the private sector to improve technical capabilities to bridge human capital gaps and called for reforms in curricula, modular training pathways, and digital certifications to align with the industry’s needs and aspirations.

The Conference Chairman and Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services (EMS), Bukar Mohammed praised the collaborative spirit among the delegates and urged them to align their contributions with the nation’s aspiration for a resilient, self-reliant, and technologically advanced engineering sector.

He, highlighted the importance of updating technical knowledge, building regulatory capacity, and integrating sustainable tools and practices into engineering operations and application of electrical and mechanical engineering tools for economic sustainability.

A retired Director of EMS, Joshua Olurinola, challenged the delegates to become the change Nigeria requires. He reminded them of their privileges and responsibilities as engineers and urged the departments to work with the highways section in deploying road signages across all federal roads.

A Technical Officer, Bozimo Joseph, advocated the formal recognition of emerging engineering disciplines, such as environmental engineering and AI-integrated systems, which are currently unaccredited by COREN and excluded from the civil service career structure.

Joseph proposed the establishment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion training workshops in the Ministry’s Technical Schools to support the national goal of converting over one million vehicles by 2027.

Itodo Emmanuel’s reinforced the importance of regulatory compliance and safety standards in national development. Referencing frameworks like the National Building Code, COREN’s Engineering Regulations Monitoring (ERM), and various safety codes.

He identified enforcement gaps, substandard materials, and low regulatory awareness as significant challenges, and recommended mandatory registration, periodic inspections, sanctions for violators, and the promotion of local fabrication through training schools.