The Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE) has said, “everything is collapsing” in Nigeria’s engineering infrastructure and not only the frequent national power grid collapse.
The body said apart from the frequent collapse of buildings, road networks, national power grid and national refineries, “there is a near system and moral collapse.”
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The National Chairman of NIEEE, Engr. Akan Michael said this on Tuesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the 18th International conference and exhibition on power and telecommunications, and the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the organization.
The conference tagged “Abeokuta 2022” has as its theme “Professionalism and standardisation in rapidly evolving industries.”
Michael, in his remarks, said “The engineering profession and practice in Nigeria are facing enormous challenges and we should not shy away from this truth. There is a near system and moral collapse. Our engineering infrastructure is collapsing with frequent building collapse, road networks collapse, national power grid collapse (7th time this year), national refineries, and industries in comatose, etc.
“If this is true, notwithstanding other contributive factors, we must standardize our practice and operations in line with the global best practices and also benchmark our ideas and innovation with world standards. The effort being made to address and improve the system must be applauded at the same time.”
He also noted that the growth of any nation lies with electrical and electronics engineering professionals.
“If a nation must progress there must be efficient and effective delivery of power, telecommunications services, virile transport and tech sectors, a productive industrial economy, and strong security agencies which are all run and supported by us,” he said.
The Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Farouk Salim described the theme of the conference as apt, saying professionalism involves achieving high standards, excellence, capacity and quality in products and services.
Salim represented by Deputy Director, Engr Alewu Cherry Achema noted that all engineering professionals should strive to achieve professionalism at all times in other to meet up with the fourth industrial revolution.
He also called on them to proffer solutions on how to use energy in fixing the ailing industries in the country.
In his address, Governor Dapo Abiodun disclosed that his administration had spent about N2bn on the provision of transformers to communities across the state.
Abiodun represented by the Special Adviser on Energy, Lolu Adubifa, said the investment in transformers was part of efforts to use energy in driving industrial growth.
