By Isqil Najim
The President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, on Saturday, has challenged the engineering professionals to claim a seat at the table where national decisions are made and not merely carry out the decisions of others.
Speaking in Abuja at the colloquium organised by the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers, under the leadership of Engr Tokunbo Ajanaku, Engr. Rabiu recall this as central to the NSE “Resetting Agenda,” a strategic direction that places policy engagement and governance participation at the front of the Society’s priorities.
“Engineers must not remain at the periphery of national decision-making. We must bring our expertise into the policy space where critical infrastructure and economic decisions are shaped,” he said.
The President noted that this call is not merely about the profession alone but a national call engineers must obey. According to him, the involvement of engineers in governance structures is a prerequisite for building a Nigeria that is resilient, efficient and economically sound.
To that end, the NSE is committed to pushing for wider inclusion of engineers in leadership roles across government and the private sector alike.
He, however, lamented what he described as a troubling pattern in contract awards, where local engineering capacity is routinely bypassed in favour of foreign firms.
“Nigerian engineers are among the best globally and should be fully involved in infrastructure delivery. Rather than engage local contractors, political leaders often prefer foreign firms for unclear reasons,” he said,
He called on political leaders to let competence, not patronage, guide procurement decisions.
Engr. Rabiu commended NICE for keeping the colloquium in honour of Engr Femi Kila alive as an annual tradition. He described the colloquium as one that has continued to provoke serious national conversation the country needs.
The colloquium’s theme — “Infrastructure Development as the Bedrock for Growth in Trade, Economy and Investment in Nigeria” — drew broad agreement from all speakers that the infrastructure question in Nigeria is long overdue for serious political will.
The national chairman of NICE, Tokunbo Ajanaku, drew on international evidence to underscore the stakes. “Every major economy is founded on infrastructural growth. If infrastructure does not grow, the economy, trade and business sector will not grow,” he said.
He pointed to the arrival of GSM telephony in Nigeria in 2000 as a case study in what one well-timed infrastructure decision can do for economic activity across an entire country.
Engr Ajanaku cited research suggesting that each new infrastructure project has the potential to generate at least a five per cent uplift in local economic growth, and pressed policymakers to move toward a more deliberate, system-wide approach to expanding the country’s infrastructure base.
Dakuku Peterside, the colloquium’s keynote speaker and a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, was blunter in his assessment.
“No nation can grow its economy, sustain trade, or attract investment on borrowed infrastructure or wishful thinking. That is our reality. We want to be a first-world nation without fixing infrastructure. Wishful thinking is not a strategy,” he said.
Mr Peterside sought to broaden how infrastructure is understood, arguing that it goes well beyond the physical. “It is more than concrete and steel. It is the invisible platform that turns potential into productivity and local activity into global trade. When we connect infrastructure to trade and investment, we begin to realise our full potential,” he said.
he urged the government to treat infrastructure as a national priority rather than an afterthought. “Let us build not for the next election, but for the next generation,” he added.
The guest speaker, Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, emphasised the role of rail transport in unlocking the economy. “As long as mobility is neglected, we will remain underdeveloped. Without efficient movement of goods, the economy will stagnate,” he said, adding that rail investment would reduce logistics costs, cut transit times, and unlock agricultural and industrial value chains.
Sen. Adefemi Kila expressed his appreciation to NICE for the honour. The event itself featured several milestones, including the formal launch of NICE’s website and membership portal, a fundraising effort toward the institution’s national headquarters, recognition ceremonies, and the conferment of fellowship on more than 60 members.
Isqil Najim can be reached on Linkedin HERE
