Esther Salifu
Vice President Kashim Shettima has emphasized the critical role of mechanical engineers in shaping Nigeria’s development, calling them indispensable to the nation’s progress. He made this assertion during the 15th Annual Distinguished Lecture of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) held in Abuja.
While delivering his goodwill message at the event, Shettima highlighted the value of engineering principles in addressing national challenges.
“The true measure of any thriving civilisation lies in its respect for numbers, for data, for geometry,” he said.
“Our national challenges do not stem from a lack of knowledge but from our difficulty in applying these principles with discipline and clarity.”
The Vice President drew parallels between engineering systems and national governance, stating
“We live in a mechanical world where every system is driven by interaction, balance, and response. Just as the laws of motion govern machinery, they shape the fortunes of nations.”
He noted that engineers remain crucial to national stability and development, particularly in areas such as energy systems and infrastructure.
“Engineers remind us that life itself is powered by numbers, calculations, and calibrated choices. Without these, our lives would be chaotic.”
Reflecting on the lecture’s theme, Shettima said it was timely and relevant in light of Nigeria’s planning and execution gaps.
“The theme of the 2025 Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Lecture could not have come at a better time. It speaks to the need for coherence between what we plan and what we execute. In engineering, as in budgeting, you cannot alter one variable without recalibrating the others. If you do, you lose harmony.”
Senator Iyiola Omisore, a Fellow of the institute while delivering the keynote lecture described Engineering as a problem-solving discipline central to national growth.
“Engineering is a problem solving activity. While there are diverse disciplines within the engineering profession, the intent of this lecture is to explore the opportunities and responsibilities that mechanical engineers must anticipate in contributing significantly to the expectations of government and society,” Omisore said.
He stressed that engineers are trained to methodically navigate challenges from identifying problems to analyzing and implementing solutions.
“The engineer is familiar with the route of moving from problem identification to the generation of probable solutions, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.”
Addressing Nigeria’s current socioeconomic situation, Omisore pointed to underdeveloped infrastructure and environmental degradation as key issues holding the country back.
“Nigeria’s infrastructure including roads, electricity, and water supply is underdeveloped, hindering economic growth and quality of life,” he said. “The environment is also continuously under threat from issues such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change.”
He referenced the proposed 2025 national budget, which aims to shift more revenue from the oil and gas sector into non-oil sectors, calling on mechanical engineers to drive this transformation.
“In the attempt to address these challenges, the proposed 2025 national budget seeks to harness a larger part of the revenue from oil and gas into non-oil resources,” he explained.
“The mechanical engineer can then emplace strategies in transforming the available resources into economic products.”
Speaking on the Importance of Biomedical Engineering The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, emphasized the vital role biomedical engineers play in the healthcare delivery system.
“Biomedical engineers are very important and they are essential elements to deliver healthcare to our people.”
Dr. Salako disclosed that the Federal Government is making strategic investments to advance biomedical engineering in Nigeria. These efforts include boosting engineering schools, training new professionals, and supporting the maintenance of high-tech medical equipment.
“And if you look at our budgets since last year and also this year, a lot of funding is being made available to improve our biomedical engineering schools, to train more biomedical engineers, and to ensure that we’re able to maintain domestically some of the sophisticated machines that we use in providing healthcare to our people.”
The minister also called for ongoing collaboration with institutions to sustain growth in the sector, while expressing appreciation for the platform provided.
“So we seek the continued cooperation of the institution to be able to continue to deliver, to develop in this respect… Thank you once again for giving me this opportunity to say a few words, and I want to wish the institution a happy, happy distinguished lecture.”
