Nigeria assumes leadership of world engineering body today

Mustafa B. Shehu, an engineer, is set to take over today as president, World Federation of Engineering Organisation (WFEO), the umbrella body of the engineering profession globally.

This is the first time anyone from sub-Saharan Africa would be occupying such a position.

Shehu, who was elected unopposed, would be sworn in today after being elected two years ago as president of the WFEO in

Costa Rica.

He will take over as the substantive WFEO president at Prague, Czech Republic today during the organisation’s General Assembly.

He would be serving in that capacity for two years (2023-2025) in Paris, France, where the WFEO secretariat is domiciled.

The WFEO comprises of over 100 national member institutions, where engineering bodies are being represented by each country.

The WFEO also has membership of other international organizations, such as the Federation of African Engineering Organisation (FAEO), Federation of Engineering in Asia and Pacific, Engineers Europe, Federation of Arab Engineers, Commonwealth Engineers Council, China Association of Science and Technology.

Shehu, who was the chairman the NSE, Kano branch, president NSE, and president FAEO before his recent election, described his election as a privilege, saying he has a sense of gratification, fulfillment and also humbling because of the expectation trusted on him.

Shehu was returned elected as the president-elect of the WFEO in an election conducted at the General Assembly World Engineering Summit of the global Engineering body in San Jose, Costa Rica.

He polled 67 out of a total of 71 votes to clinch the coveted position at the election.

It would be recalled that Shehu has been the executive vice president of the WFEO after winning the election at the World Engineering Summit in Australia in 2019.