Minister challenges engineers on professional conducts

The Minister of State, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Architect Darius Ishaku has challenged the Nigerian Society of Engineers to ensure that the academic school curriculum in post-primary institutions contain subjects that will encourage interest in engineering studies.  This, he said, would enable the profession out-live the existing sets of engineers in the field.

Architect Ishaku made the observation when he was honoured with an award in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of cost engineering, today (3/9/13) at the Merit House, Abuja. The award which was on the auspices of the Institute of Appraisals and Cost Engineers, a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, in its maiden public lecture titled “cost engineering in total cost management of the economy” noted that the complexity of engineering in Nigeria was that the Nigerian Society of Engineers is losing ground to other bodies. The Minister of State noted that the bottom-line of whatever body is the benefit accruable to the clientele in order to change the perception of the general public.  

He stressed that he did not earlier value the profession of engineering until he supervised the Ministry of Power as Minister of State where he was exposed to the handicap nature of the Nigerian Engineers.  Architect Ishaku praised the ingenuity of Nigerian engineers ‘which could make something happen out of nothing’.

He therefore urged the Nigerian Society of Engineers to start ‘planting new seeds of engineers as the old breeds are fast phasing out, in order to sustain the quality of engineering profession in Nigeria’.

In his welcome address, Engr. Giandomenico Massari noted that the theme of the maiden public lecture focussed on cost engineering because, the practice is devoted to project cost management.  This involves such activities as cost control, estimating/forecasting, investment appraisal and risk analysis.  He further explained that as cost engineers, the profession enhances budgets, plan and monitor of investment projects in order to achieve the optimum balance between cost, quality and time requirements, to avoid cost overruns and schedule slips.

Other recipients of the award include Engr. Mustafa Balarabe Shehu, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Engr. Kashim Sbdul Ali and others.  Engr. Otis Anyaeji was conferred with a fellowship of the Institute.