University Don Says Nigeria Engineering Need A Rejig

A university lecturer and President of Academic Research and Entrepreneurship Development (A-RED) Initiative, Engr. (Dr.) Hilary Owamah, says Nigerian engineering education and practice needs a re-engineering for sustainable economic development.

Owamah, an internationally renowned researcher and Acting Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, Delta State University, Abraka stated this over the weekend in Ughelli, Delta State.

Delivering a lecture at the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Ughelli Branch, maiden Public Lecture and Induction Ceremony, Dr. Owamah call for a federal government policy for the re-engineering of the Nigerian engineers for optimum national, economic growth and development.

According to him, engineering education and practice need a rejig in the areas of training/education of would-be engineers, improvement of competence/skill of practicing engineers and improvement of engineers’ participation in public policy and governance.

He contended that until engineers are allowed to fully perform their roles in the society, achievement of sustainable economic development would continue to elude the country as no country has ever developed being fully dependent on foreigners for her infrastructure and machinery development.

“It is regrettable that over forty years after independence, Nigeria still depends largely on foreign nations for her various technological and industrial needs. Its development is still grossly low in terms of technological productivity”, Dr Owamah said.

The erudite scholar attributed the causes of technological backwardness in Nigeria to discouragement of indigenous technological growth by the colonial masters, non-implementation of Nigeria’s industrial policies after independence, government attitude and poor state of educational institutions.

His suggested remedies were safe-copying of items already in the market, genuine encouragement of made in Nigeria goods by government, bringing corruption and politicization of the power sector to an end coupled with encouragement of the development of appropriate indigenous technology and good leadership.

Dr Owamah advised Nigerian Engineers to begin to participate actively in public policy making and governance in order to lend their technical expertise to government policies that have to do with infrastructure and technological development before the policies are cast in stone.

Engineers can make a big difference given that public policy needs to be founded on solid science, he added.

In his remarks, NSE President, Engr. Adekunle .O. Mokuolu, commended the Dr Owamah hugely and said, “for a very long time, I have not witnessed a presentation like this. This is just beyond the consumption of Ughelli Branch alone.

“I will make sure Dr Owamah re-presents this paper before the President (GCFR) and Vice President of Nigeria during the NSE 60th anniversary celebration at the International Conference Centre Abuja as speaker for the event, Mokuolu added.

Dignitaries present in the event are, Engr. Chief D. A. Umukoro (Retired Perm Sec., Ministry of Works, Delta State), Mr Samuel Ilabor (Vice-President, A-RED Initiative), many NSE Branch Chairmen (Asaba, Warri, Sapele, Auchi etc.), Prof. Temi Akporhonor (Former Rector, Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara), HRM, King Matthew Ediri Egbi (Owahwa II, JP, FoD, the Okobaro of Jeremi (Ughievwen Kingdom), chairman of the NSE Ughelli Branch, Engr. Roland Uveruve among others.

Highlight of the event was the conferment of an award of excellence for research and contributions to the growth of engineering in Nigeria on Dr. Owamah.