Priortise safety over profit to end building collapse in Nigeria — NSE charges members

PRESIDENT, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ali Allimasuya Rabiu has, charged newly inducted corporate members to place public safety above profit, noting that substandard materials and ethical compromise are behind Nigeria’s frequent structural failures.

The charge was given at the 2026 Annual Dinner, Induction of New Corporate Members and Paper Presentation held at Jogor Centre, Ibadan.

Rabiu, who was represented by Engineer Ezekiel Ojekunle, told the inductees that the first duty of an engineer is the security of lives and property, not profit.

He also stressed the need for mentorship, urging senior engineers to guide younger ones so they can become good representatives of the profession.

“Profit making should not be the first priority. The first priority is the security of life and property because if the ethics of the profession are not obeyed, there can be structural failure,” he concluded.

In his speech, the guest speaker at the event, and professor of Mechanical Engineering from the Federal University of Agriculture, (FUNAAB) Abeokuta, Ismaila Olasunkanmi, noted that the engineering profession in Nigeria is at a crossroads, due to ethical challenges.

Delivering a paper titled:
‘Beyond the blueprint: Engineering excellence, ethics, and national development’ he said engineers must stand their ground when clients demand substandard work to put an end to building collapse.

Professor Olasunkanmi, who is also a former chairman of the NSE Ibadan branch, lamented the waste of public funds from poor infrastructure and urged engineers to embrace standards that ensure durability.

“We have issues of ethics in Nigeria. I challenge you that you are coming to the engineering profession, you should be looking at the larger house. You should be looking at the whole of Nigeria when you are designing whatever you design.

“The issue of the collapse of buildings has so many dimensions. We are not exonerating all engineers, some people are culpable.

“As an engineer who has been properly trained, you don’t have to bend the rules. You have the standard, you have to follow the standard” he said.”

In his welcome address, chairman of NSE Ibadan Branch,. Ayokunnu Ojedеле, described the event as more than a celebration, but a call to service.