Nigerian Engineers Have Long Way To Go – Adebayo Olusodo 

Our correspondent had an interview with the newly inaugurated Lagos Chapter Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Engr Adebayo Olusodo at the event of his investiture in Lagos. Engr Olusodo a facility management expert who has worked in the oil and gas downstream sector for years shares his thoughts and vision as the 6th chairman of the Chapter and discussed the state of the engineering profession in the country.

Congratulations sir on your investiture, how does it feel to be the new Lagos chapter chairman of NIEEE 

I feel grateful and full of thanks to God for making today a reality.

In line with the vision of NIEEE, how does the present administration plan to become the leading professional Institute in Nigeria?

Like I said in my acceptance speech, a major vision of the NIEEE is the need to build competent professionals. In making our members more competent, we need to expose them on the know-hows. Hence, for them to be skilled at best the need calls for engaging members in intensive training.

The tech world at the moment is experiencing a boom, what kind of training would be given to members of the institute and how would these trainings build the Nigerian tech industry?

We would organize training to affect the present and ongoing situations of the Nigerian economy. Since we are electrical engineers the ongoing situation in the country would determine the aspect of training to focus on. For example, the power situation in Nigeria is challenging. In the chapter, we have three specialized sections. A member either belongs to Power, ICT, or Instrumentation and Control. Hitherto, our training would cut across all these aspects of the Institute.  NIEEE would be training all of her members in those regards to being competent. For power, our goals will be aimed at solving the recurrent problem of power failure in Nigeria, Lagos in context. In ICT, there is the Internet of Things. Primarily the training would focus on aspects that have potentials of building the economy.

As an expert facility manager would you say the government policies have been favourable to professionals in that regards?

Well for me, I will say we are all part of the government. Whether the policies are favourable or not, we all must play our part in building the nation. In line with this, part of what this administration will be doing is paying courtesy visits to industry players and policymakers. And these visits are not targeted for the fun of meeting people but for the sake of creating an understanding of what professionals in NIEEE can do in the industry, the academia and ultimately in the economy. In facility management, we are going to meet those that are involved in developing policy, rub minds on the gaps to be closed in facility management and ways of ensuring that engineering practice in Lagos state is the top in the country.

In your address, you did mention of making a strategic alliance with branches of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in Lagos state. In what regards specifically? 

What I meant by that is that generally Nigerian Engineers operate in two dimensions. We operate as divisions and also as branches. As branches, all engineers meet in a particular location and rub minds and as a division, all electrical and electronic engineers also meet as professionals on matters that bind them together. So when I say alliance with NSE what I mean is that we would ensure by our means that the better majority of NIEEE membership is actively engaged by fervently participating in their respective branches of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).

Lastly, as compared with the world situation at the moment, what will you say is the future of electrical engineering in Nigeria with the state of things in the country?

The truth of the matter is that we have a long way to go, but judging from the untapped prospects of the nation and the fact that we have a large economy, I can tell you that the future is bright. The NIEEE as a chapter has so much to offer, but we must not be left unsupported and alone with the great aspirations we have for the country.  If we will be solving problems as Nigerian professionals, the solutions we are going to create must interface with the Nigerian challenge. Our solutions have to be designed as a homemade one. So to answer your question directly the future of electrical engineering in Nigeria, Lagos is context is bright.