The Annual Dinner and Awards organised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Ikeja Branch under leadership of Engr Funmi Akingbagbohun had have come and gone. It had in attendance various dignitaries within and outside the Engineering profession. It was the culmination of week long events at the annual engineering week,
As part of the dinner activities, the MD Cartons Producer, Mr Oladapo Babajide Emmanuel explored the theme of the night “Engineering innovation and disruption: Opportunities in Nigeria.”. And he indeed shed more light on the various opportunities emerging for smart engineers in business.
As someone who been propagating the theme for some time, Mr.Emmanuel challenged the engineers to brace up for disruption in the industry. He defined the disruption in business is a situation where you bring an idea and you enforce the people you meet on the team to start following the idea.
Mr Emmanuel shed more lights, using some of his personal experiences in agriculture sector and also fabrication where he suggested that there is huge many opportunities for engineers to tap from and urged them not to wait for foreigners to lead the way as the skills and resources needed are very much on our soil,
Explaining further, using the food industry; he observed that there are so many areas where engineers are needed to help fabricate machines or new techniques to address challenges faced by local food processors.
Some of the areas are in the processing of stable foods like garri which is begging for technological innovation as the operators still deploy crude methods in their production processes. The machines, according to him are not only able to mass produce but also address the health risks as well as physical exhaustion involved in processing of such foods
He announced that his company is currently building two industrial estates and the various machines produced are given to non-governmental organisations in different states in the country. He noted however that, though the project is not money focused, it has been yielding revenue.
He encouraged and appealed to Nigerian engineers to explore various type of such local opportunities before the foreigners take hold of it. He said his industrial estates currently being built in Nigeria has capacity to employ at least 10,000 farmers which translates to billions of naira.
Various dignitaries were honoured at the event for their contributions and supports to engineering through the year. Some of them are: Arae Surveyor (Dr) Segun Osifeso, Engr. Chief Odutola Gbuyiro, CEO and Managing Partner, Gosslink Engineering Limited, Engr Mrs Arowolo Omodele Adesola, Engr. Abiodun Awal, Engr Halimat Adeniran, Engr. Monsurat Oloruntoba, Engr Akindele Rasheed Ayinde, and many others.
in attendance are: High Chief. Engr Akintunde Zedemi, Engr S. A. Lawal, ASCE District Governor ,The past chairmen of the branch Engr Francis Oguanaman, Engr Ayo Fanimokun , Engr Michael Abiodun Awe, Engr Mrs Margaret Aina Oguntala, Engr Charles Akintayo Akinola were also revered by the chairman. Engr Halimat Adediran , Engr Mojirade Oloruntoba were also awarded.
Others are the general manager of Lagos state material testing laboratory, Engr OES Ajani , Engr Omoruwa , Engr Tola Muiwo, Engr Adewale Oshea, Engr Mrs Atinuke Owolabi, Engr Kunle Adebowale, Chairman of Apwen Engr Laolu Adedapo Aishida. Also members of Victoria Island and Apapa branches were also at the event.