WorldStage Newsonline– The Director General/Chief Executive, National Metallurgical Development Centre, Jos (NMDC), Prof Linus Asuquo has made a case for concerted efforts by all members of the engineering ‘family’ profession to achieve the number four and number seven of President Bola Tinubu- led Renewed Hope agenda.
According to a statement by Eweama, Sunny, PRO/Head, Press and Public Relations, NMDC, the Prof Asuquo said during the 29th National Engineering Conference/ Annual General Meeting of Nigerian Association of Engineering Craftsmen (NAEC) in Abakaliki that the agenda hinge on unlocking energy and natural resources for sustainable development and accelerating diversification through industrialization, digitalization, creative arts, manufacturing and innovation.
In his speech at the conference with the theme: National Skills Qualification Scheme-A Way Forward for Nigerian Engineering Crafts Practitioners Towards National Development, he said that for the engineering profession in Nigeria to be in the global competitive map, there is need for the professional engineers, technologists, consultant engineers and craftsmen to inclusively pull their technical know-how together to achieve enviable height in the global engineering ranking.
Prof Asuquo who was represented at the conference by his Technical Assistant , Moses Ogar, urged the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) to firmly instill its regulatory role by mentoring the leadership of all segments of the engineering family so as to get rid of quackery in the profession.
“This NAEC National Conference 2024 is apt and a wake up call because at the moment, the Nigerian society is looking unto the engineering family to emancipate her from the lingering quagmire of being a consuming nation instead of a productive and exporting one as exemplified by Japanese Engineers after the second World War of 1945,” he said.
The DG/CE said that as the Crafts Engineers do the nitty-gritty of any engineering site activity, they are found virtually in all aspects of socio-economic activities especially in the areas of road construction, building, manufacturing, processing, and research and development among others.
Prof Asuquo who is a Fellow of the Academy of Engineers in Nigeria extoled the leadership of Engr Craft Umar Usamn Maikunkele, President and Chairman in Council, NAEC for keeping the flag of engineering profession flying, while thanking COREN under the leadership of Engr Prof Sadiq Zubair Abubakar for allowing NAEC to explore areas of improving her members’ expertise.
Prof Asuquo who was at the event conferred with a Distinguished Fellowship Award by the National Executive Council of NAEC said the award would spur him not only to contribute his best to the engineering profession, but inclusively work with all strata of Engineering Profession particularly, the Association of Engineering Craftsmen in NMDC led by Engr Craft Caleb Yiljura which he testified to have fast-tracked the realization of the Centre’s Research and Development mandate of adding value to all minerals and metals in the country.
The NMDC boss is a Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Engineers, Fellow, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Fellow, Nigerian Metallurgical Society, Fellow, Certified Research Scholars &Administrators(An International Association of Researchers & Administrators),Research Fellow, South Dakota University of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota ,USA and a host of other Fellowship Awards.
