Obasanjo backs call as Nigerian engineers seek better deals

FORMER NIGE RIAN PRESIDENT, Olusegun Obasanjo has backed the call by engineers in the country for better deals from governments across different levels which, they claim, favour their foreign counterparts over them in engineering contracts.

This was emphasised at the induction of Obafemi Olopade, an engineer as an honorary fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE) held in Lagos on Thursday.

While addressing the audience, the former president restated the need for adequate training and provision of special funding to support Nigerian engineers, and more importantly, patronising them where necessary instead of indulging bringing in their foreign counterparts.

“There is no need to call on other to come and do for us what we can do for ourselves and it will not be fair if we keep abandoning our own competent experts, while their foreign counterparts enjoy patronage.

Describing engineering as an important element in achieving sustainable development in the country, Obasanjo further argued that collaboration between the industry professions and the government was necessary, adding that there would be no development without it.

Corroborating the guest lecturer at the induction ceremony, Falade of engineering department, University of Lagos, Obasanjo maintained that lack of collaboration between academia, engineering industry and the government has hindered the growth of the engineering profession.

The gap, he stressed, should be bridged through better financial support for the professionals to develop scientific innovations needed by the people.”If we are going to make progress, the training of engineers must be right. The industries must have their own input on training; financing of engineers and facilities as the training of engineers must be adequate.

“And government should not avoid that. If foreigners have to bring in engineering experts, we must also treat our own engineers right to do for us what we need. Technicians, craftsmen and technologists should be taken together as members of the profession.

Meanwhile, the inductee, Olopade urged the academy to set up machineries for the training of technicians and artisans as a means to mitigate rising unemployment in the country.

“I would suggest that the academy should encourage most of the companies coming to Nigeria to train technicians and artisans. Engineers have always been at the top of the pyramid with a wide base, but there is no adequate support”, he said.

Fola Lasisi, a professor and president of NAE, lamented that the Nigerian university engineering education and training system was beset by low entry standards, etc.