Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said the enhancement of engineering education was key to the growth and development of the country.
Akpabio disclosed this while delivering a keynote address at the investiture of Margaret Aina Oguntala, an engineer, as the 34th president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, Senator Akpabio said this could be achieved through partnerships with educational institutions, industry leaders and professional organisations.
He tasked engineers to remain committed and contribute to the growth of the country in the areas of infrastructure, economic growth and adequate training of young engineers to be able to compete favourably within the global environment.
The president of the Senate applauded the engineers for electing the first female president of the NSE, saying it is the right direction for promoting gender equality and inclusivity in the field of engineering.
“We must strive to equip our engineers with the necessary skills and knowledge to compete on a global scale.
“By fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, we can ensure that our engineers are armed with the latest tools and techniques to tackle complex engineering problems,” he added.
Earlier, Oguntala pledged to nurture engineering to new heights and unveiled a new agenda for the NSE, tagged, “Rebirthing the NSE for growth, empowerment and advancement of engineering in Nigeria” for the next two years.