June 25, 2023

The Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) says it has begun collaboration with local and foreign automobile companies towards setting up electric cars assembly plants in the nation.

NIMechE National Chairperson, Dr Funmilade Akingbagbohun, gave the hint on Saturday night while making her opening speech during the association’s 2023 fellowship conferment ceremony in Victoria Island, Lagos.

She reeled out achievements of her administration in capacity building programmes for members, young engineers and tertiary institutions to enhance innovations.

The chairperson said her office was already building a world class engineering academy on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to equip engineers with knowledge needed to compete and contribute to national development.

She said a partnership had begun with Innoson Motors and Toyota towards assembly of electric cars in Nigeria, to position local engineers for future of technological advancement in the automobile industry.

“We have also partnered and collaborated with Innoson Motors in terms of capacity building training for automobile assembly in Nigeria, our focus is on electric vehicles that is coming up.

“If we are not ready to take that industry, other people that are not engineers or mechanical engineers will take up the industry, so, we are partnering with Innoson Motors, we are partnering with Toyota Nigeria Ltd and Toyota is sponsoring curriculum in collaboration with us,” she said.

Akingbagbohun said the topic of the event”Recent Collapses and Failures: Time to also look inwards?” was apt to address incessant building collapse and the worrisome losses of lives and property.

“We (engineers) owe it on ourselves as professionals to join hands toward arresting this menace. We must look inward, interrogate what is wrong, and fix it,” she said.

She thanked the Board of Fellows for their hard work and leadership while urging new conferees to take up responsibility of mentoring younger engineers.

The Guest speaker, Mr Adekunle Adebajo, who is Chairman/CEO Ove Arup and Partners Nigeria, said building collapse and construction failures happen everywhere, but only the dramatic ones catch attention.

He gave tips on how professionals could look inwards through collaboration to end the menace .

“We need to always regard design and construction as a team activity. Learn from those who have spent years in construction.

“Don’t design anything before you understand how to do it or are competent in it. Ask for supervision or assistance.

“Don’t sign anything you haven’t read or understood. Be inquisitive – raise questions and if you don’t get answers elevate the issue until you’re satisfied.

“Follow your Engineering intuition– if it doesn’t look right, it probably is not. Be wary of clients who don’t want to pay for the required level of design or supervision.

“Be hungry for new ideas or information and seek to expand your knowledge.

Learn from your mistakes and those of others!,” he said.

Earlier, the chairman Board of Fellows Prof. Oluwatoyin Ashiru, congratulated and advised new entrants on how to adopt best practices in enhancement of engineering.

He urged the new fellows to diligently provide leadership for advancement of the nation and give themselves to constant learning of new skills to remain relevant. (NAN)