Adodo Osewengie
The Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), has called on all practical mechanical engineers to engage in inventions and innovations aimed at putting an end to the importation of goods that ordinarily can be produced locally in the country.
This call was made by the National Chairman of the association, Prof. Mohammed Ndaliman, during the inaugural ceremony of the 7th Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of NIMechE, Mr. Abdulganiyu Tiamiyu, in Ikeja.
The National Chairman, represented by Dr. Funmilade Akingbagbohun, his deputy, stated that he desires to have engineers explore their communities to achieve this feat noting that it is when engineers contribute productively to the economy that the growth of the nation becomes visible.
“As engineers, we need to be creative and solution providers within the economy, and that will be easy when we all go into our communities and provide solutions to the residents’ challenges.
“For us to be able to move forward in the country, we need to produce machines locally that can solve challenges. And that means we are growing the economy rather than importing all we need,” he added.
Also on his part, the former Deputy Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Prof. Rasheed Aderinoye, noted that there is a need to imbibe the zeal and interest in science and technology into Nigeria school children.
According to Aderinoye, engineers should brace up to address the reoccurring incidences of collapsed buildings and other prevalent challenges.
In the statement, Mr. Abdulganiyu Tiamiyu, the sworn-in chairman of, Lagos Chapter of the institution, said that mechanical engineers must understand they remain the solution providers to help grow the nation’s economy noting that the robustness of the Nigeria economy lies on their shoulders.
Taimiyu said, “in terms of infrastructure, manufacturing, design, maintenance, agriculture, technology, logistics, and others has significant percentage”.
“Mechanical engineering takes the lead as the bedrock of all engineering.
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“This is a wake-up call and opportunity for engineers and scientists to think outside the box in providing alternative ways as well as methods of doing things to get the desired results and deliver our nation,” Tiamiyu said.
Going forward, the Lagos Chapter Chairman of NIMechE, also disclosed that his administration will create enabling working relationships with all relevant agencies to synergize and proffer solutions to challenges that have been identified.
Also, Mr. Kaamil Olalekan, the guest lecturer of the inaugural event expatiated on the need for mechanical engineers to be retrained on the job when he spoke on the topic, “Human Capital Building for National Development: Role of Nigerian Engineers”.
According to the guest lecturer, engineers need to explore every means in building on their skills to meet up to the challenges noting that capacity-building training is key in equipping engineers with the needed skills to proffer solutions to reoccurring challenges in their communities.
“Training on capacity-building is very essential in the engineering profession because inventions are often made daily and Nigerian engineers must not be left behind.”
Contributing to the ideas and opinions made by other speakers at the inaugural event, Dr. Uche Obiajulu who happens to be the immediate past chairman of the chapter, spoke on how mechanical engineers could turn Nigeria into a highly industrialized nation.
