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By Sola Rotimi
The Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE has urged governments, policymakers, and private sector leaders to give professional engineers a central role in planning, executing, and maintaining infrastructure projects to tackle severe development deficits in the country.
Speaking at a news briefing in Ilorin to launch the 2026 Engineering Week, Kwara State Branch Chairman Engineer Olusola Ogunjirin emphasised that sustainable growth can only be achieved by integrating technical expertise and innovation across key sectors like energy, transportation, and agriculture.
While showcasing the branch’s recent achievements, he mentioned the formal registration of the NSE Ilorin Branch company with the Corporate Affairs Commission and the installation of a 5kVA solar system at their Engineering Centre.
The chairman also emphasised the branch’s community contributions, including the installation of a standard solar borehole in the Oloje community in April 2025, alongside hosting the Third and Fourth Annual Engineer Lanre Sagaya Distinguished Lecture Series.
He celebrated the global achievement of branch member Professor Nazmat Surajudeen-Bakinde on her landmark appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology in The Gambia.
Engr Ogunjirin commended the Kwara State Government for its swift intervention in securing the safe release of seven kidnapped construction workers in Ifelodun Local Government Area, reiterating that professional safety is essential for ongoing infrastructure development.
The Kwara NSE Chairman also reiterated a call on the State Government to prioritise indigenous engineers and local contractors for infrastructure projects across the state to stimulate the local economy, enhance hands-on technical training, and curb severe capital flight.
“If you patronise contractors that are from outside the state, there’s what we call capital flight. By the time they get their payment, they leave the state with the money,”he warned.
He noted that local contractors regularly absorb undergraduates for their mandatory Industrial Training (IT), providing them with essential field experience.
“Our students are not being trained properly. Because the indigenous contractors that are resident in Kwara State will have taken ITs from these institutions that are domiciled in Kwara State. But if you bring an outsider, they’re not even interested in engaging IT students, because all they want to do is to get the work completed and leave the state,” he added.
Part of the activities marking the 2026 Engineering Week include technical site visits to key local projects, public lectures, an annual general meeting, elections, and special religious services to foster professional networking and advocacy
