NAEng urges new strategies for engineering development, economic growth

The Senior Special Adviser to the President of African Development Bank (AfDB) Akinwumi Adesina on industrialisation, Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinkan, has tasked potential political leaders to be more ambitious, strategic and transparent in developing, implementing policies that will foster industrialisation, engineering development and economic growth in the country.

He led the call at a public forum tagged:”Engineering as the key facilitator of national development policies and strategies for the incoming administration”, organised by the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAEng) in Lagos.

He said leaders must realise that engineering and manufacturing are at the base of all wealth creation, adding that whatever happens in the micro-economic space like inflation, wages, interest rate, and employment starts at the factory level.

Prof. Oyeyinkan said countries make progress because they build factories, produce goods, add value to their raw materials and employ huge number of people.

“ln a country where there are no factories producing and adding value, you will necessarily have unemployment because, where will you generate wealth from?. In any country where oil has become the dominant production idea or the only export a country derives its foreign exchange from, they always run into fiscal crisis and volatility. When oil prices fall, they are down and when the prices go up, leaders steal the money.”

He emphasised that Nigeria should go back to the foundation of wealth creation by strengthening the engineering domain of economic life, promoting and employing young people into engineering-based sectors.

“ One of the things the AfDB is discussing is youth entrepreneurial lnvestment Bank meant for young people, run by them and for young peoples’ business and we are hoping that this will be part of what will solve Nigeria’s problem.”

“What l expect from the new leaders is that they will take engineering seriously. We understand that things that grab attention of politicians are the short-term things. But we are saying at the base of the things is that we are not producing and we must move from consumption economy to production economy. Once upon a time, we had Michelin, Dunlop, Bacita Sugar Plant, Savannah Sugar Plant and companies making all our spare parts for automobile sector but today, everything is imported. The rate of import is far more than export, that is the problem, “he said.

He advised political leaders to behave properly and stop degrading the engineering profession rather than creating an enabling environment for practitioners to thrive.

Former President of Nigerian Society of Engineers, Otis Anyaeji, said incoming administration must boost Nigeria’s manufacturing capacity and enforce active manufacturing of products across the country.

Anyaeji who is also the Obi of Obahu Okija in Anambra State, said sustainable industrialisation requires that the country develop the capacity to produce the necessary industrial machinery and equipment with components, make machines that make other machines.

He said to achieve this will necessitate the establishment of engineering infrastructure to create a technological base.

He said: “Benefits to derive include stopping the excessive outflow of resources to other countries, increase of agriculture produce due to availability of food processing and storage capability. We need ability to readily establish home grown small and medium scale industries at affordable costs. “

A Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, United States, Ayodeji recommended policy that will encourage solar cell manufacture, and ion battery cell manufacture from locally sourced raw materials as the world embraces electric cars. He said Nigeria needs to close the gaps in the energy supply chain urgently.

According to him, Universities and research institutions should be funded to carry out needed research and development while banks and Venture Capital are encouraged to invest in companies in these areas with high long-term growth potential.

He also said private companies, currently focused on the assembly end of the manufacturing process, must be encouraged to pursue vertical integration, with the manufacturing process starting from locally sourced raw materials.
“States should provide incentives in the form of tax breaks, direct investment, and support for foreign Partnerships,” Demuren said.

Speaking on how to ensure flood mitigation in Nigeria, a past president of Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, Ali Kassim, said Nigeria needs to mobilise its local engineering resources to mitigate, if not completely solve its drainage and erosion problems through designs and construct flood control system during the dry season. He said Nigeria has enough manpower to design and implement mitigation measures for floods and gully erosion. The Federal and State Governments, Ali said need to engage indigenous researchers, and consultants to conduct comprehensive study and review of all watersheds in Nigeria as well as a countrywide programme should be put in place to actualise this.

He said procurement process for the dasin Hausa dam located on the river Benue, 30km north of Yola in Adamawa State should be speedily concluded and the processes commenced for the others in Benue, Lokoja and Onitsha. He said flood control measures in other river basins must be similarly addressed.

The President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Prof. Azikiwe Onwualu, said after decades of development policy formulation and implementation, Nigeria is still challenged with dysfunctional infrastructure, and it appears that no section of the economy is operating at an optimal level.

He said: “In fact, we are all aware of the situation where some of the challenges have been so bad that the existence of the nation, Nigeria was under threat. We are preparing for a general election in a few months’ time. It is imperative that we get it right this time. Our approach in solving the problem is to provide evidence, data and knowledge-based advice on how the incoming administration can redirect Nigeria towards the path of progress.