HAZMAT HARPS ON IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

 … Urges New Engineers To Contribute Their Quotas

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat has again led credence to the imperative of technology in the overall development of any nation, saying that the future belongs to people who are ready and willing to adopt or adapt it. 

Dr. Hamzat stated this on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at the Induction Ceremony of the University of Ibadan Engineering Graduands 2021/2022 session into the graduate membership of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), with the theme: “Developing Innovative Strategy for Building a Sustainable Career as a Young Engineers in the 21st Century”, at the Faculty of Technology gLecture Theatre, Ibadan, Oyo State.

According to him, “Technology development is highly flexible and can be adapted to suit various life issues and circumstances. The most interesting aspect of technology development is the manner it has transformed governance, socio-economic growth and development through its application and implementation of innovative strategies and initiatives”.

He added that the bedrock of socioeconomic growth and development in a country is the provision of infrastructure to stimulate socioeconomic activities that will transform the society, such as intermodal transport systems, road construction, affordable housing, and food security through the provision of mechanised farming and grain storage in silos.

While noting that these activities will generate economic empowerment for the people through employment generation, Hamzat stressed that Engineers are central to the achievement of these activities or strategies, urging the new inductees to see the ceremony as a stepping stone to the fulfilment of their dreams as engineers and achieve success in building up their career profile.  

“As you grow in the engineering profession, you must learn, unlearn and relearn due to constant changes in knowledge and development in technology. We have seen phenomenal growth in Artificial Intelligence (Al) and the impact it has had on the way people live, work and interact”, he said. 

Speaking further, Dr. Hamzat stressed that 21st-century Engineers in a country like Nigeria with its myriad challenges, offer opportunities to engineers to be solution providers, adding that education provides only a foundation; the reality check is that they must put their theoretical training to design great engineering feats.

He said, “Our challenges are your opportunities; climate change, agricultural production, housing challenges, infrastructural development and maintenance are all areas of opportunity. We have recorded incidents of building collapses in some areas and incidents such as this bring our profession into negative perception by the public. We must, therefore, put it at the back of our minds that we must reshape the negative mindsets created by the various activities”.

Furthermore, Hamzat stated that the world of engineering is filled with opportunities waiting to be explored and there are boundless opportunities in the public sector for young engineers to achieve their potential as young engineers,  adding it is their turn to contribute their quota by coming up with ideas and concepts that will further enhance life experience in the country.

The Deputy Governor, therefore, urged the young engineers to go back to the drawing board and think of innovative ways and means by which they can make a meaningful impact in their chosen field with the necessary guidance and inspiration from their mentors. He said, “if you want to build up a sustainable career, three things are very important for you; never stop learning, nothing is impossible and if you can dream it, you can achieve it”.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale enjoined the graduating engineering students to be of good character and good ambassadors of the institution as well as put all the training they had acquired at the institution into the development of the country.

The Vice-Chancellor, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Prof. Aderonke Baiyeroju added that the country required their expertise for socioeconomic and political development.