Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has charged engineers to deploy technological innovations that will facilitate Nigeria’s development.
Hamzat gave the charge at the induction ceremony of University of Ibadan Engineering Graduands (2021/2022 Session) into the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), in Ibadan.
The event had the theme: “Developing Innovative Strategies for Building a Sustainable Career as Young Engineers in the 21st Century “.
The deputy governor, an alumnus of the university, said that technological development had transformed governance and facilitated socio-economic growth through application and implementation of innovative strategies and initiatives.
He noted that the bedrock of socio-economic growth and development was provision of infrastructure.
“This stimulates socio-economic activities that transform the society.
“These activities will generate economic empowerment for the people, ” he said.
Hamzat said that engineers were central to the achievement of the goals.
He urged the inductees to learn and re-learn as they would be growing in the engineering profession.
Hamzat advised the engineers to be solution providers.
“Nigeria, with its challenges, offers opportunities to engineers; they cannot be armchair engineers, but solution providers.
“Our challenges are your opportunities – climate change, agricultural production, housing challenges, infrastructure development and maintenance – are all areas of opportunity.
“We have recorded incidents of building collapse in some areas, and incidents such as this, bring our profession into negative perception by the public.
“We must, therefore, reshape the negative mindsets created by the various activities, ” he said.
The deputy governor also advised the young engineers to strive to contribute their quotas by coming up with ideas and concepts that would further improve the society.
He said, “If you want to build a sustainable career, three things are very important for you: never stop learning, nothing is impossible, if you can dream it, you can achieve it.”
Earlier, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, enjoined the graduands to be good ambassadors of the institution.
The vice-chancellor, who was represented by his Deputy (Academics), Prof. Aderonke Baiyeroju, said that Nigeria required engineers’ expertise for development.
He advised the inductees to put in practice the training they acquired for the university.
The highpoint of the event was presentation of a special recognition award to the deputy governor by the NSE for his contributions to the faculty of engineering and the institution.
Hamzat is a 1986 graduate of Agricultural Engineering, University of Ibadan.
