The National Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), Prof. Mohammed Ndaliman, has urged those in the field to come up with inventions to end importation of goods that could be produced locally.
He made the call during the inauguration of Mr Abdulganiyu Tiamiyu as the 7th chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the NIMechE, in Ikeja
Ndaliman, represented by his deputy, Dr Funmilade Akingbagbohun, urged the engineers to go into their communities across the country to achieve the feat.
He said that when the mechanical engineers become productive, the Nigerian economy will grow astronomically.
“As engineers, we need to be creative and solution providers within the economy, and that will be easy when we all go into our communities and provide solutions to the residents’ challenges.
“For us to be able to move forward in the country, we need to produce machines locally that can solve challenges. And that means we are growing the economy rather than importing all we need,” he said.
Prof. Rasheed Aderinoye, former Deputy Secretary Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), on his part, said that all challenges needed homegrown solutions.
He said that there was need to inculcate the love for science in school children across the country.
Aderinoye said that cases of collapsed buildings and other challenges could be solved when the engineers rise up and address them immediately.
The newly sworn-in chairman of the chapter, Tiamiyu, said that the economy of the nation relied heavily on the mechanical engineers because they remained solution providers.
He said that engineering contribution “in terms of infrastructure, manufacturing, design, maintenance, agriculture, technology, logistics and others has significant percentage.”
“Mechanical engineering takes the lead as the bedrock of all engineering.
“This is a wake up call and opportunity for engineers and scientists to think outside the box in providing alternative ways as well as methods of doing things to get the desired results and deliver our nation,” Tiamiyu said.
He said his administration would work with all relevant agencies to provide solutions to identified local challenges.
The guest lecturer, Mr Kaamil Olalekan, speaking on the topic: “Human Capital Building for National Development: Role of Nigerian Engineers,” highlighted the need for retraining of mechanical engineers.
According to him, people need to upgrade themselves on their jobs.
Olalekan noted that through additional training, the engineers would be able to provide solutions in their communities.
According to him, capacity building is very essential in the engineering profession because inventions are often made daily and Nigerian engineers must not be left behind.
The immediate past chairman of the chapter, Dr Uche Obiajulu, joined other speakers to suggest how mechanical engineers could make Nigeria an industrialised nation