Stakeholders Seek Integration of Engineers

Ayodeji Ake

The Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria, (ACEN), has called for the integration of Nigeria’s engineers into national development, noting that m every sector of the economy requires engineering input.

The keynote speaker at the 41st ACEN Annual Conference, recently in Lagos, Managing Director/CEO, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Nurudeen Rafindadi who spoke on the topic, ‘Integrating Nigerian Engineers into National Development’, highlighted the various impacts of engineers on the nation’s economy.

Rafindadi said: “Engineering and technology are crucial to the creation of social amenities like healthcare, quality education and support infrastructure such as transport, power, water supply, agriculture, among others. Engineering activities revolve around technical, social and economic systems providing a crucial impact on all identified development indexes.

“Engineers are at the core of national development as no nation can develop in the absence of a flourishing practice of engineering and technology. Integrating the Nigeria engineer into the development process is, therefore, a starting point to the development of our nation.

“The country should also witness a major improvement in economic performance which should result among others, in a reduction of the importation of food items and refined petroleum products, improved power supply, improved transport infrastructure, expanded industrial production, improved competitiveness, greater availability of foreign exchange; improved job creation, reduction in poverty and greater inclusiveness in the spread of the benefits of economic growth.”

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