Preamble
Fellow engineers and distinguished Nigerians at this meeting, I consider it a unique privilege to stand here addressing this topic of common interest to all of us, particularly, as we approach mid Year 2025. This topic is with the view to examining the significant roles mechanical engineers should play in improving the socio-economic status of the society in tandem with the national budget for the year. The Nigerian budget is drafted for the upliftment of the people in the hope of exploiting available potentials towards solving all palpable and latent challenges of the citizenry. The lower and the upper houses, as well as the executive have done what they probably knew best to do, but the budget without innovative implementation strategies would remain like the carcass of a vehicle, though with an engine of enormous capacity (potentials), but without the wheels –we aren’t going nowhere!
Engineering, however, is a problem-solving activity. And while there are diverse disciplines of the engineering profession, the intent of this lecture is to navigate the opportunities and responsibilities that the mechanical engineers must anticipate in contributing significantly to achieving the expectation of the government and the society, sustainably. The engineer is familiar with the route of moving from Problem Identification, to Generation of Probable Solutions, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation; such design process is equally relevant in addressing the current discourse. We must walk the talk as the Engineers-in-Society, in providing viable and effective strategies.
Situational Analysis
Our dear country Nigeria of today is faced with numerous socio-economic challenges, some or, all of which some mechanical engineering solutions are urgently required. Let me highlight a few of the problems:
(i) Poverty: despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria has a significant poverty rate, with more than half the population living on less than NGN 1,500 (less than USD 1.00) a day.
The monetary worth of all goods and services in Nigeria for the last 10 years has shown unfavorable decline and, it is important to ask, “What are the challenges mechanical engineers may solve in terms of improving the level of industrialization and quality of labour in contributing to government policies and business capitalization, towards improving the national GDP.
(ii) Unemployment: Currently, the country is characterized by high unemployment rates, especially among the youths, with the consequence of contributing to social unrest and economic instability. Although recent reports indicated some decline in unemployment rate, the concurrent deindustrialization and the declining GDP are pointers to the reality of underemployment.
In view of the relevance of mechanical engineering in virtually all industries, we must innovate new strategies to upscaling the micro, small and medium businesses.
(iii) Inadequate Infrastructure and Environmental Degradation: Nigeria’s infrastructure, including roads, electricity, and water supply are underdeveloped, hindering economic growth and quality of life. The environment is also continuously under threat from issues such as deforestation, illegal mining, illegal bunkering. pollution, and climate change.
It is therefore necessary to navigate viable engineering solutions, particularly in the field of mechanical engineering in addressing a myriad of problems.
(iv) Other challenges facing the country, where the mechanical engineers would greatly impact the society, are in the areas of healthcare challenges, the increasing need for quality education, security challenges, etc.
Setting the Stage
In the attempt to addressing these challenges, the approved 2025 National Budget seeks to harness the larger part of the revenue from oil and gas, non-oil sources, including taxes, customs, VAT and other levies, in addition to privatization proceeds and facilitation of supportive loans. While the expected contributions from oil and gas can be predefined, we need to explore the available potentials of contributions from the non-oil sources. The mechanical engineer can then emplace strategies in transforming the available resources into economic products, resting on the various aspects of the profession, namely: Controls and Robotics, Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Systems, Mechanics of Materials, Renewable Energy and Environmental Flows, Computational Engineering, Automotive Design, Machine Design and Development, Mechatronics, Robotics, Combustion Engineering, etc.
It is also important to review the non-oil natural and agricultural resources as potential feedstocks for the engineering innovations. These resources are presented in graphical forms as follows:
These vast resources of base metals are calling for exploitation in enhancing the well-being of the citizenry.
Complementary potentials are the agricultural resources, as shown.
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Strategies for Socio-Economic Impact
What are the significant strategies that may align with the projections of the national budget and exhuming the available national potentials in addressing the identified national challenges? It is important that our institute would focus more clearly on the following areas in for sustainable socio-economic development.
(i) Energy and Power Generation
With Nigeria’s growing energy demands, the mechanical engineers are in higher demands in providing increasing opportunities in power generation, transmission, and distribution, occasioned by the inadequacies of the national grid in meeting demands sufficiently. Many places are faced with incessant blackout, or prolonged brownout, and ofttimes grid collapse.
I had examined the subject of supplementing the national grid supplies with sustainable renewable energy sources in my M.Sc. degree thesis of a first-generation university. The university is currently paying hundreds of millions of Naira as monthly energy bill, and has now learnt by experience to harness renewable energy alternatives. This initiative is actually necessary in more fields and industries. The mechanical engineers are required, in the coming years to develop a wide range of solar solutions: portable and in-built solar systems – from solar powered devices, to solar-generators as well as the well-known PV-systems. We may engage in such project directly, or motivate the younger generation in developing innovative solutions.
The imminent gas-economy of the nation has been a major driver of innovations in automotive engineering, with the heightened interest in CNG-driven automobiles, gas turbines for power generation, and the harnessing of power focusing flare-gas fired sterling engine.
All these are in addition to the conventional assignment of the mechanical engineering in design and maintenance of the existing energy generation, transmission and distribution systems. The student of engineering, the pupil engineers and the consulting experts must proactively carve out the significant trajectories towards achieving the anticipated goals of national socio-economic development.
(ii) Oil and Gas
Increased activities in the oil and gas industry is expected in the coming year, and it is imperative that clear and well though-out strategies must be put in place for maximum benefits in the industry. The government must be stirred toward public investment in necessary infrastructures, like the design and maintenance of pressurized transportation vessels, rail lines, drilling facilities, and including conveyance vehicles. The young engineers must be systematically equipped to understanding in the theory and practical skill in the development of the structure, safety requirements. This should in turn inform the dynamics of engineering education, increase awareness on safe handling and safety concerns in the use of domestic gas cylinders.
(iii) Automotive, Aerospace and Aviation
There is an urgent need to further strengthen the drive for local production of automobile and the replacement part of the automobile. The broad family of the mechanical engineering profession, from artisans, technicians, technologists and engineers, as well as the stakeholders. Also, with the growing aviation industry, mechanical engineers would find opportunities in aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul.
Consequently, our profession must initiate the drive towards enacting and enduring impactful policies and practices in education, professional practices and regulations. While promoting local assembling, concerted efforts must be made in the areas of parts regeneration and production of consumable components like brake pads, tyres and windscreens, some of which in the past were produced in this country. The growing field of microprocessor- controlled devices must also be accorded corresponding attention.
(iv) Construction and Infrastructural Development
Nigeria needs to invest heavily in infrastructure development, including roads, bridges, ports, and energy, to drive economic growth and development. The growth in building and infrastructural development is expected to be on the increase in the coming years. Therefore, the conventional roles of the mechanical engineers in building services, equipment maintenance and automation would remain unabated. The bottom-top approach must, therefore, be employed in raising the needed manpower, sustainably, investing in human capital development, including education, healthcare, and skills development.
(v) Healthcare and Security
In view of the high exchange rates, the local mechanical engineers must consider rapid development and deployment of locally-produced essential biomedical equipment and instruments. The ongoing efforts in robotics and artificial intelligence must be sustained and further advanced.
Conclusion
Nigeria has tremendous potential for socio-economic development, but it needs to address its challenges and seize its opportunities to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth. While the anticipated budget is not unattainable, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers surely has huge role to play, deploying all of its specializations in wheeling the country to the desired destination.
and then