Vice President Kashim Shettima has emphasised the importance of precision and discipline in national budgeting, drawing parallels between engineering principles and governance.
Delivering a goodwill message at the 15th Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Lecture, Shettima noted, “The true measure of any thriving civilization lies in its respect for numbers, data, geometry, and the guiding principles of mathematics.”
He expressed concerns that Nigeria’s challenges stem not from a lack of knowledge, but from difficulties in applying principles with discipline and clarity.
“We live in a mechanical world where every system is driven by interaction, balance, and response,” he said.
The Vice President highlighted the indispensable role of engineers in society, stating that they “apply the principles of science to real-life situations, using their skills to create, stabilize, and sustain.”
Speaking on the theme “The Imperative of Engineering Strategies for the Manning of National Budget,” Shettima remarked, “In engineering, as in budgeting, you cannot alter one variable without recalibrating the others. If you do, you lose harmony.”
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He praised the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers for advancing national discourse and contributing to nation-building.
“Where we invest thoughtlessly, the consequences are felt across generations. But where we apply intelligence and strategy, the benefits multiply,” he said.
Shettima stressed that budgeting, like engineering, demands structure, accuracy, and foresight.
“A nation that hopes to succeed must learn to plan like an engineer. Every figure must make sense. Every decision must serve a purpose.”
In his lecture, the distinguished speaker, Engr. Sen. Iyiola Omisore, underscored the critical role mechanical engineers play in addressing Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
Omisore noted that “engineering is a problem-solving activity” and emphasized that mechanical engineers must anticipate opportunities and responsibilities to contribute meaningfully to national development.
He highlighted some of Nigeria’s pressing challenges, including poverty, unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, and environmental degradation.
“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,” he stated.
Omisore reiterated the need for mechanical engineers to innovate strategies to upscale micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and develop viable engineering solutions to address the country’s myriad problems.
“We must walk the talk as the Engineers-in-Society, providing viable and effective strategies,” he said.
He also noted that the proposed 2025 National Budget seeks to harness revenue from oil and gas, non-oil sources, and other levies, highlighting the crucial role mechanical engineers can play in transforming available resources into economic products.
Omisore pointed to various aspects of mechanical engineering that can be leveraged, including controls and robotics, renewable energy, and computational engineering.
He called on mechanical engineers to explore the potential of non-oil contributions and to reassess Nigeria’s natural and agricultural resources as feedstocks for engineering innovations.
Also speaking, former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko urged the Federal Government to empower local engineers, describing it as an “ideological shift” crucial for national development.
Mimiko lamented that “more than 98% of Nigeria’s road contracts are awarded to foreign firms,” despite the country producing engineers for over 50 years. “More than 90% of our capital projects go to Germany, China, and others,” he added.
He stressed the need for deliberate government efforts to empower local engineers, citing the example of the Second Niger Bridge, which was handled entirely by foreign firms, unlike the first Niger Bridge, where Nigerian engineers were involved.
“It is leadership that can see tomorrow. Nigeria’s engineering development depends on the vision of its leadership.
Where should we be in engineering in the next five years, in the next ten years? Let’s work towards it.”
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