Engineers tasked on capacity for infrastructural growth

The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu, has urged educational institutions to strengthen technical skills acquisition for engineering students across the country.

Aliyu stated this while delivering a keynote address at the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE) conference in Abuja on Thursday.

“UNESCO report on Infrastructure development shows that Nigeria graduates a minimum of 3,500 engineers annually, but sadly they are unemployable because they do not have the required technical skills to drive infrastructure growth.

“As such, there is an urgent need to review engineering curriculum to a more contemporary and technologically driven system to enshrine skills to the young generation of engineers.

“Countries with

huge infrastructure growth like China, Germany, Netherlands and Singapore invest heavily in engineering and Nigeria must up its game so it won’t be left behind,” he added.

Speaking on the theme of the conference tagged ‘Reform of Engineering Education: A Strategy for Sustainable Development in Nigeria’, the national chairman of NICE, Engr. Aishatu Aliyu Umar, said it is high time Nigeria upgraded its educational engineering strategies.

She said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has provided opportunities to explore in educational engineering especially in the area of deploying technology and that is why we are gathered to brainstorm and provide recommendations.”

She said the Institution is partnering with other International engineering bodies to achieve its aim of strengthening engineering in the country.