COMMUNIQUE OF THE 52nd NATIONAL ENGINEERING CONFERENCE, EXHIBITION AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS (NSE) TAGGED “KANO 2019”, HELD AT THE AFFICENT EVENT CENTRE, NASARAWA GRA, KANO, FROM 2ND- 6TH DECEMBER, 2019.
PREAMBLE
The 52nd National Engineering Conference, Exhibition and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) tagged KANO 2019 was held at Afficent Events Centre, Nasarawa GRA, Kano from 2nd – 6th December, 2019. The theme of the Conference was “Building Resilient Infrastructure to Promote Sustainable Industrial Growth”
OBSERVATIONS
The following observations were made at the end of the Conference:
1. The Presidential Executive Order 5 is very commendable for Sustainable Industrial Growth.
2. The power supply crisis in the country is due to inadequate power infrastructure and poor tariff regime in the industry.
3. Inadequate commitment among the owners of GENCOs, DISCOs and Transmission Company has contributed to poor power delivery in the country.
4. Insufficient planning of Distribution/Transmission and Generation infrastructure has led to the power infrastructure failures.
5. The use of Single Buyer Model for electricity industry has contributed to the Nigeria Electricity Market crisis.
6. Inadequate regulation and enforcement by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
7. The yearly appropriation allocation for road development and maintenance is grossly inadequate.
8. Infrastructure gaps in power, roads, railways, waterways, ports, gas pipelines, coupled with poor access to finance have continued to impact negatively on the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs) ability to survive.
9. The growing deficit between the cost of required infrastructure and resources available has continued to widen the infrastructure gap, consequently increasing the rate of unemployment particularly in the construction industry.
10. Implementation of National Content Policy on human resource, particularly the Nigerian Engineers are grossly underutilized for national development.
11. Inadequate and Low level of skilled manpower in the whole infrastructure delivery chain.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations emanated from the Conference:
1. The Federal Government Presidential Executive Order 5 should be passed into an Act of Parliament.
2. Immediate implementation of Cost-Reflective Tariff Structure from the review of multi-year tariff order by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
3. Prioritization of power supply for industrial use above domestic consumption.
4. Creation of Special Purpose Vehicle for improvement, expansion of electricity infrastructure and revenue collection from consumers, while the existing GENCOs, DISCOs and Transmission Company would only be responsible for operation and maintenance of the facilities, as a long-term plan.
5. All players in the power sector should show more patriotism in discharging their responsibilities to Nigerians.
6. The power sector bilateral trade with other countries should commence immediately.
7. Transmission rehabilitation and expansion programme should be sustained.
8. Government should reduce intervention funding in favour of private sector investment for DISCOs to address structural challenges in a sustainable way.
9. NERC should review capital requirements holistically in line with international best practices, and enforce these requirements, outlining penalties for noncompliance with the same.
10. Government should provide opportunities for private sector participation for investment in Iron and Steel development and production sector.
11. Immediate identification of Industrial Parks along the railway corridors by the State Governments and acquisition of these locations for industrial development.
12. The President & Commander-In-Chief should in line with the international best practice use Public-Private-Partnership Model for funding construction and maintenance of roads infrastructure in Nigeria.
13. Adequate fiscal incentives should be given to encourage indigenous Private Sector investments in infrastructure.
14. Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises should be encouraged through tax incentives and waivers by the appropriate government agencies such as Ministry of Finance, CBN, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Custom, etc, to improve productivity.
15. Immediate overhaul of the Education Curriculum in the Primary and Secondary Schools to reflect needs of national development and anti-corruption campaign.
16. Establishment of at least 6 Vocational Schools in each State of the Federation for formal capacity building for Construction and Industrialization.
FORMAL OPENING
The opening ceremony was chaired by the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Adekunle Olumuyiwa Mokuolu, FNSE. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, was ably represented by the Hon. Minister of Power, Engr. Saleh Mamman as Special Guest of Honour. The President of NSE, Engr. Adekunle Olumuyiwa Mokuolu, FNSE, delivered the welcome address.
His Excellency Dr. Umar Ganduje, CON, also graced the occasion as Guest of Honour and delivered an encouraging speech. Other distinguished dignitaries present at the occasion included the Hon. Minister of State for Science and Technology, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi who represented Engr. Dr. Ogbonnaiya O. Onu, FNSE, the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology; the President of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Engr. Ali A. Rabiu, FNSE, President of the Federation of African Engineering Organizations (FAEO), Eng. Martin Manuhwa; Engr. Otis Oliver Tabugbo Anyaeji, FNSE, Immediate Past President of NSE and current President of West African Federation of Engineering Organization (WAFEO); Hon. Solomon Maren, FNSE, a member of the Federal House of Representatives.
The Keynote address was delivered by the Hon. Minister of State for Science and Technology, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi. The Keynote Address was titled “Challenges, Prospects and Strategies for Implementing the Executive Order 5 for National Infrastructure Development”.
Also, in attendance was the Deputy President, Engr. Babagana Mohammed, FNSE; Past Presidents of NSE: Engr. Ife Akintunde, FNSE; Engr. I. K Inuwa, FNSE, OFR; Engr. Dr. Olusegun Ajayi, FNSE, Engr. Dr. E. J. S. Uujamhan, FNSE; Engr. Charles Mbanefo, FNSE; Engr. K. A. Ali, FNSE, mni; Engr. Chief O. A. Ajibola, FNSE; Engr. M.B. Shehu, FNSE; Engr. Isaac Ademola Olorunfemi, FNSE. The opening ceremony
was concluded with the opening and tour of the Exhibitions led by the representative of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
CONFERENCE AND AGM PROGRAMMING
The five-day event comprised variety of activities including Opening Ceremony, Plenary Sessions, Panel Discussion Sessions and Concurrent Technical Sessions. Symposium by Board of Fellows, Amendment to the NSE Memorandum and Articles of Association (MEMART), Group Dynamics for NSE Divisions and Branches,
Students’ Programme and Young Engineers Forum were other key activities undertaken.
The Conference was enriched with other equally important social activities that enhanced interaction amongst the participants. These included Spouses Programme, Cultural/Award Nite, Welfare and Manifesto Nite, Annual General Meeting (AGM), Annual Dinner/Dance and Closing Ceremony. All activities were well attended by Engineers, Researchers, Academia, Industrialists, Local and Foreign Investors, Policy makers, Legislators, Development Partners, and experts in various engineering disciplines from all works of life. A total of 3,910 Participants attended the Conference.
A total number of 2 Lead Papers were discussed at 1st plenary session, 3 Lead Papers at the 2nd Plenary Session and 2 panel Discussions Sessions, 48 Technical Papers on the 7 Sub-themes were presented. Foreign delegates from Ghana and Kenya, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe Institutions of Engineers participated fully in the conference. Twelve (12) accredited companies and organizations, some of the Divisions and Branches of NSE also participated in the exhibition during the Conference.
“Kano 2019” under the Spouses’ Programme undertook the renovation of a block of 5 Classrooms in Dambata Kofa Ruwa, Kano. The project was commissioned by Her Excellency, the Wife of the Governor of Kano State, Hajiya Dr. Hafsat Umar Ganduje ably represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor. The Engineers` Spouses were led by their National Leader, Deaconess Oluyemisi Mokuolu.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The Society successfully deployed online voting for the election of the officers to run
its affairs in 2020. The following officers were elected:
1. Engr. Babagana Mohammed, FNSE – President
2. Engr. Tasiu Saad Gidari-Wudil, FNSE – Deputy President
3. Engr. Aishatu Umar, FNSE – Vice President
4. Engr. Yakubu Ali Garba, FNSE – Vice President
5. Engr. Adeniran Ibitoye, FNSE – Vice President
6. Engr. Halimat Adediran, MNSE – EXCO Member
7. Engr. Prof. Abdulrahim Abdulbaqi Toyin, FNSE- EXCO Member
8. Engr. Nnenna Igwegbe, MNSE – EXCO Member
9. Engr. Rabiu Haruna, FNSE – EXCO Member
10. Engr. Mojirade Oloruntoba, FNSE – EXCO Member
11. Engr. Ibrahim Aliyu, MNSE – EXCO Member
12. Engr. Adekunle Mokuolu, FNSE – Immediate Past President
13. Engr. Dr. Okopi Alex Momoh, FNSE – Executive Secretary
Thank you.
Engr. Dr. Okopi Alex Momoh, FNSE
Executive Secretary
EO5 paraphrases that Nigerian Engineers can only engineer projects that are financially less than a particular amount of money. By the time the price goes beyond this limit, they become incompetent. Is it price of projects that determines competence or otherwise? I expect ingeniers to unravel the insult behind this folly but they go about celebrating it and asking for it to be made a statute.
“EO5” and ‘Local Content’ are insults to ingeniereing (specifically) and engineering in general.
Ingeniers are trained to determine how those seeming impossible things can be tackled and avert consequences using available resources.
The definition never mentioned that the price of the project determines the competence of an ingenier.