Engineers advocate mentorship, curriculum review to stem ‘Japa’ syndrome
Some the fellows during the Fellowship conferment ceremony of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) on Saturday in Lagos.
By Grace Alegba
The Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) on Saturday called for mentorship of the younger generation and review of curriculum of tertiary institutions to curb ‘Japa’ syndrome, mass relocation abroad by Nigerians.
The National Chairman, NIMechE, Mrs Olufunmilade Akingbagbohu, during the Institute’s Fellowship Ceremony in Lagos, said engineering was about solving problems and was the bedrock of development.
Akingbagbohu urged older engineers to adopt and mentor younger ones for them to see opportunities in solving several problems confronting the nation instead of running to other countries.
“We need to encourage them, so that they will not Japa but will stay and develop Nigeria,” she said.
She said engineering practice in Nigeria had suffered a great loss due to the curriculum design, which did not capture current realities and technological advancements.
She said, “curriculum should be hands-on and skill-based” and not just abstract and irrelevant old theories.
She said the NIMechE evolved programmes to bring the academia and industry together to close the gap for commercialisation of research works.
She added that NIMechE had begun a mentorship project targeted at training over 5,000 young engineers for the labour market.
She said NIMechE, in its bid to create the right environment for the growth and development, was also building an industrial academy.
L-R: Chairman, Board of Fellows, Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) Prof. Oluwatoyin Ashiru; the National Chairman, Dr Olufunmilade Akingbagbohu and the Deputy National Chairman, Alhassan Mohammed during NIMechE Fellowship Ceremony in Lagos on Saturday night
The Chairman, Board of Fellows, NIMechE, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ashiru, in his welcome address, said the fellowship conferment was highly competitive as the criteria for selection were stringent.
Ashiru advised new fellows to adopt a lifelong habit of continuous learning, develop soft skills for effective communication and grow capacity in other areas for the development of Nigeria.
“As engineers we should be learning continuously; any one that thinks he knows everything, knows nothing,” he said.
Some Fellows of NIMechE at the event
The Guest Speaker, Mr Kunle Ogunbayo, speaking on the theme, “The World is Moving Very Fast – Can We, Or Should We, Keep Pace?,” said new agreements would be reached at the ongoing 28th United Nations Climate Change conference.
He said the implementation of COP28 was always a problem because countries usually considered thier national interests, which ended up subsuming global agreements.
Ogunbayo admonished the Federal Government and local engineers to adopt measures that would make the lives of Nigerians better.
The guest speaker urged engineers to document their codes to preserve their knowledge and experiences for future generations to learn from.
He said currently young people without requisite engineering training were the ones writing codes and algorithms and if older engineers didn’t take urgent actions their knowledge would not be passed on.
“Unless we become active participants in the development of these systems and the eventual transition to Artificial Intelligence enabled systems, the collective institutional knowledge of our firms, especially those of the more senior members of the profession, could be lost,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 26 fellows were inducted at the ceremony. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
GA/SA
Edited by Salif Atojoko
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