Engineers face a lot of challenges in nation building in Nigeria. It is necessary that aspiring engineers are acquainted with these challenges so that they get prepared to face and tackle them. Though not an exhaustive list, the challenges outlined below impact engineering practice in Nigeria a lot.
1. Engineers being All in All
In most government and private establishments in Nigeria, engineering personnel are assumed to know all. A civil engineer can be employed to do the work of an electrical engineer, chemical engineer, mechanical engineer, etc. at the same time instead of seeking the services of engineering professionals in their suitable areas of engineering.
2. Corruption
Most engineering projects in the country are carried out using the fifty percent (50%) rule, thereby eating the capital and not the profit. That is, contractors give even more than fifty percent of the total cost of a project to some corrupt officials and politicians before actually embarking on a project, and in most cases since the remaining part of the money will not be enough to do the job, the project may not be carried out and if it is carried out at all, it is usually sub-standard or abandoned.
3. Non-engineers carrying out Engineering Contracts using Engineering Credentials
Most engineering contractors carry out engineering projects using the engineering credentials of engineering professionals in order to win or get engineering contracts.
4. Politics
The nature of the training of the engineers does not actually expose him/her to be actively involved in politics, though they may be passively involved. For instance, a power engineer in a power station cannot be actively involved in politics, since power stations are usually sited in secluded areas.
5. Existing Engineering Facilities and Infrastructures not being upgraded
Most engineering establishment ever since they were commissioned has not been upgraded, thereby not being able to meet up with the present day demand.
6. Non-adherence to Workshop Sections in Conferences
Most engineering conferences do not adhere to workshop sections, usually after a technical paper presentation, then, it is all over.
7. Attitude towards Maintenance
Our industries and infrastructures are built “once and for all” without any routine maintenance work; the result is the general decay of these industries and infrastructures in the country.
8. Reverse Engineering is not in our Engineering Curriculum
Reverse engineering is not in our curriculum and this makes technology transfer somehow difficult.
9. Engineers not Fellowshipping with their Colleagues
Most engineering personnel occupying managerial positions are not registered with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). Hence, such persons may seem not concerned with the advancement of engineering and technology in the country.
10. Research and Development
The government’s lackadaisical attitude towards research and development hinders research opportunities in research institutions and universities. The government considers research and development to cost a lot of money and there is no link between research institutes, universities, and industries in the country.
Recommended Measures for Improvement
- Different engineering personnel in various fields should be employed in all engineering departments in both government and private establishments so that specific jobs can be given to an engineer in his/her chosen area of specialization. That is, there should be a division of labour.
- The pay package of engineers in Nigeria should be commensurate with their counterparts in Europe and America so that they will not be tempted to eat the capital of any project.
- Engineers should be disciplined and avoid non-engineers using them to achieve their selfish aims. They should only tender their certificate when they are involved in a project. And establishments should be mandated by the Nigerian Society of Engineers, to employ at least one registered engineer.
- Just as the office of the Attorney General is occupied by a lawyer, the offices of the ministers and commissioners of energy works and housing, environment, and transport should be especially for engineers,
- Existing engineering facilities and infrastructures should be upgraded with the present-day state-of-the-art facilities in order to meet the present-day demand.
- Routine maintenance work should be carried out on a regular basis after a project has been commissioned, this will increase the life span of such infrastructures and facilities.
- Reverse engineering should be introduced into our educational curriculum, in order to make technology transfer very easy, we should all embrace the popular “Igbo made’’ for instance, and stop using foreign labels on our locally manufactured goods.
- Engineers should be mandated to belong to their professional bodies and without this, they should not be allowed to practice. That is, they should be mandated to fellowship with their professional colleagues.
- Government should make money available for engineering research and development, in order for the country to advance technologically.
