Minister of Works, David Umahi, has emphasised that engineers are pivotal to the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to transform Nigeria’s road infrastructure.
He made this remark while hosting the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Margaret Oguntala, at his office in Abuja.
According to Umahi, the administration of President Bola Tinubu places engineering best practices and innovative solutions at the core of its policy direction. He acknowledged the NSE’s contributions in upholding high professional standards, enforcing ethics, and promoting the engineering profession nationwide.
The minister reaffirmed his commitment to improving engineers’ welfare, boosting technical capacity, and accelerating nationwide infrastructure projects.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olufunsho Adebiyi, also reiterated the ministry’s readiness to work closely with the NSE on agreed areas of collaboration.
Earlier, Oguntala informed the minister about the upcoming NSE Annual General Meeting scheduled for December in Ibadan, Oyo State. She called for stronger collaboration between the society and the ministry, particularly in enhancing the skills of engineers in the ministry’s workforce.
She further advocated for the expansion of NSE’s ongoing training programmes for both young and experienced engineers, which have been running since last year. In addition, she sought the ministry’s backing to provide industrial training for engineering students and placement opportunities for graduates, helping bridge the gap between academic learning and practical experience.
Oguntala also proposed joint community-based engineering projects aimed at delivering innovative solutions to improve livelihoods at the grassroots level.