Nigerian Society Of Engineers (NSE) - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Folashade Adeniran
Jun, Fri, 2025

NSE unveils mobile app to boost coordination, national development

107 total views today

By Angela Atabo

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has launched a mobile app to help coordinate its members’ activities, support national development, and tackle the problem of unqualified practitioners in the profession.

Malam Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), launched the app on Thursday in Abuja and commended NSE for the innovation, calling it a milestone in local content development.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the app is designed to enable NSE members to access information, register for projects, and participate in community impact initiatives in support of national development.

Inuwa, represented by Mr Salisu Kaka, Director, E-Government and Digital Economy Department at NITDA, said the app would support engineers in delivering on their mandate while also contributing to Nigeria’s digital transformation.

He urged the NSE not to limit the innovation to internal use but to share its benefits widely to address broader national challenges.

“This innovation aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s digital public infrastructure agenda, a framework aimed at unifying digital service delivery across government institutions for more efficient public services and economic growth.

“These digital public goods are technologies developed to solve societal problems. What NSE has done qualifies as such and, with collaboration, it can be adapted and exported to other sectors,” he said.

Inuwa noted that the engineering profession is fundamentally about problem-solving, and many of the challenges engineers address are common across sectors and locations.

He expressed optimism that, with slight modifications, the app could also be used to tackle similar issues in other industries.

Speaking at the event, NSE President and Chairman-in-Council, Mrs Margaret Oguntala, said the app would improve coordination within the Society by keeping members informed of activities at both the national and branch levels.

Oguntala explained that the platform would also promote greater member involvement in social impact initiatives.

“Members will now be able to register for community-impact projects and training programmes directly through the app,” she said.

She added that the app would serve as a practical tool in the fight against quackery in the engineering profession.

“If someone approaches me for a job, I can quickly log into the app to confirm whether the person is a registered NSE member.

“If not, the person is also unlikely to be registered with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). This will help us to curb the activities of quacks in the profession.

“Eventually, we plan to develop a system that allows even non-members to verify registered engineers before awarding jobs,” she said.

Oguntala described the mobile application as a contribution to national development, saying it reflects the society’s embrace of digital transformation and its alignment with the digital agenda of the current administration. (NAN)

Edited by Tosin Kolade

Align African engineering education with global standards – NSE

Folashade Adeniran
May, Thu, 2025

Oil & Gas

Align African engineering education with global standards – NSE

289 total views today

By Yunus Yusuf

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has emphasised the need to align African engineering education with global standards, while adapting such standards to local realities.

The society also called for greater investment in infrastructure, partnerships, and digital tools to bridge the gap between academia and industry.

Mrs Margaret Oguntala, President of the NSE, made this call during her panel remarks at the African Content Collaboration Session of the 2025 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held on Wednesday in Houston, Texas, U.S.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the session has as its theme, “Local Content Development and Partnership for Africa’s Energy Sustainability”.

It focused on advancing engineering capacity and energy innovation across the continent.

Oguntala outlined key strategies for aligning African engineering education with international benchmarks.

She said that these include curriculum and faculty development, stronger engagement with industry, accreditation processes, and fostering innovation.

She emphasised the importance of developing syllabi that reflect global best practices while building local talent pipelines.

“In Nigeria, we have begun implementing an Outcome-Based Education (OBE) system, which prioritises technical competencies over theoretical knowledge.

“This is a significant step forward for engineering education in Africa,” she said.

Oguntala also highlighted Nigeria’s efforts toward global recognition, noting that the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) is a provisional signatory to the Washington Accord, an international agreement promoting outcome, based engineering education.

“This progress underscores the importance of collaboration between government, academia, and industry.

“The government must be intentional in funding institutions, providing modern training facilities and equipment to ensure hands-on learning for engineering students,” she added.

In the spirit of regional collaboration, Oguntala revealed that Nigeria is mentoring engineering boards in Kenya and Ghana to adopt similar standards.

According to her, this aims to strengthen the continent’s engineering talent base.

She, however, said that inadequate funding remained a major challenge.

“The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is playing a supportive role.

“For example, an innovation hub is being developed in partnership with the University of Lagos, and we need more initiatives like this to expose students to emerging technologies,” she said.

Also speaking at the event, Mr Walter Akpani, Managing Director of Providus Bank, stressed the importance of supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as key drivers of economic growth.

“SMEs are often overlooked in the oil and gas value chain, but they are crucial,” Akpani said.

“There is no one-size-fits-all financing template; institutions must understand the unique transactional dynamics of each SME.”

He noted that high naira-based financing costs are a barrier to SME sustainability, advocating for more flexible funding options.

“Dollar-denominated financing, despite exchange rate concerns, may offer more affordability in the long run,” he added.

In a related presentation, Mr Emmanuel Emefienim, Managing Director of Premium Trust Bank, represented by Executive Director Mrs Bukola Awosanya, discussed financial de-risking strategies for the oil and gas sector.

“Banking is fundamentally about providing funds and ensuring repayment.

“Within the oil and gas sector, which has a complex value chain, financing models must be structured to manage or transfer risk effectively,” she said.

Awosanya described the African Energy Bank initiative as a promising model for pooled funding.

“Oil and gas projects typically require substantial, long-term financing.

“Financial institutions must collaborate with energy firms and adopt structures that ensure timely access to funds and risk mitigation,” the managing director stressed.

She noted that long-term loans should be viewed as strategic balance sheet items, and that alternative financing tools could further support sector development. (NAN (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa