Young engineers advocate research grants to drive Nigeria’s industrialisation
Multiple award-winning engineer, Mrs Atinuke Owolabi has called on Federal and State Governments to give research grants to young engineers to help them contribute more to the nation’s technological development.
Owolabi made the call on Thursday, at the “Young Engineers Day” which was part of activities of the 2022 Engineering Week of the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in Lagos.
She said grants from federal and state governments could motivate the youths to come up with innovations to develop Nigeria, create mass employment, tackle poverty and drive the nation’s industrialisation.
The engineer, who has NGOs training young professionals, said the younger generation were better with technology and should be encouraged to drive Nigeria’s industrial revolution.
She said that the Ikeja branch has a “Young Engineers Forum” a platform which it uses for mentorship, training and retraining of young professionals towards helping Nigeria catch up with global innovations.
Owolabi said NSE Ikeja recently organised a job fair where over 50 young engineers were given automatic employment because companies invited were impressed by the skills of the employees developed through mentorship.
The 2022 Engineering Week Planning Committee Chairman said engineers were doing their bit in line with the theme of the event “Taking Responsibility for Nigeria’s Transformation: the Imperative for Engineers”.
“We need to encourage them (young engineers), and I encourage federal and state governments and other Nigerians to support young engineers by giving them job opportunities, motivation and grants,” she said.
She urged about 350 young engineers in attendance, with some joining virtually, to embark on personal self development to build capacity and use the social media responsibly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that various teams of the Young Engineers Forum made presentations to showcase their innovations.
A team leader, Mr Henry Uzor, and his team invented a solar powered wheel chair that recognises the voice of its user and carries out the commands.
NAN reports that Uzor’s team came first in the Young Engineers Forum Presentations at the Nigerian Society of Engineers National conference in Abuja in 2021.
Making a slide presentation, Uzor said digital transformation on a larger scale was the solution needed to boost the nation’s economy towards industrialisation.
Uzor, a graduate of the Federal College of Technology, Owerri, while showcasing his team’s innovations, enumerated advantages of both the wheel chair and a technology for virtual teaching in the education sector.
He said the”world is going digital and we (Nigeria) are not doing enough”.
Miss Cherish Jefferson, a 500 level student, University of Lagos whose team took free science education to a marginalised riverine community won the heart of the guest speaker as she shared their success stories.
Jefferson, an Administrator and Quantity Assurance Manager on the team, told NAN that they were members of the Sustainable Development Advocates Club also taking refuse out of Lagos lagoons.
The guest speaker, Mr Igbuan Okaisabor, who is CEO Construction Kaiser Ltd, offered to support Jefferson’s team’s free science education and environmental protection drive.
While delivering his lecture, Okaisabor advised the young engineers to build relationships and networks to ensure their steady growth, emphasising the importance of mentorship.
“If we do not prepare the next generation, who will take over for us?” he said.
He said that advanced economies grew fast because generations of older engineers, their governments and citizens invested in young engineers.
Okaisabor reeled out lessons and growth initiatives the young professionals should emulate.
Female panelists at the event shared insights on how women could multitask without losing out on progressive ideas that are changing the face of engineering in the nation.
They urged young engineers to evolve goals and run with the visions to revolutionise the nation’s technological space for digitisation and industrialisation.
Plaques were presented to Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure, the keynote speaker, best graduating engineering students and other deserving elders of the engineering community. (NAN)
