The Dean Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Olaosebikan Fakolujo today urged the Nigerian government to take the nation out of the comity of the consuming nations, stressing that the only thing that can guarantee development for the nation is to become a producing nation.
Fakolujo further urged the nation to leverage and invest on technology in other to transform the nation into an industrial nation.
Fakolujo, who stated this at the induction of 293 2018/2019 graduates of the Faculty as graduate member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), stated that Nigeria must cease from becoming a consuming nation and invest in technology to fast-track industrial and economic development.
He said that the induction which ought to have taken place in 2020 was postponed due to “the challenge of Covid-19 pandemic, ASUU strike and other national/global issues”.
He revealed that 43 of the inductees graduated with a first class in various fields of technology, while 112 made second class honours upper division.
His words, “I am highly excited to inform this gathering that forty-three (43) of them, which constitute 14.7 per cent, graduated with First Class Honours. Two are from Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, One is from Department of Civil Engineering 18 are from Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 10 are from Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, Nine are from Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Three are from Department of Petroleum Engineering. 112 of them graduated with Second Class Honours, Upper Division. 127 of them graduated with Second Class Honours, Lower Division, 10 of them graduated with Third Class Honours and one of them graduated with a Pass Degree. it is crucial for you to identify with the reality that Nigeria need to cease from being a consuming nation and wake up from her slumber by engaging in productive activities that can guarantee rapid industrialisation, earnings from exportation and economic transformation. Technological development is undoubtedly a prerequisite to industrialisation and economic development in any nation of the world”.
Fakolujo urged the graduands to acquaint themselves more modern technical and management skills to be relevant engineers nationally and internationally.
Speaking in an interview, the best graduating female student, Favour Victoria Aiyegbeni stated that she became the best graduating female student by hard work and due to her passion for engineering.
She said, I was not actually aiming high and making sure I understand my courses. I didn’t want to go out there without knowing what I know. It was such a motivation to be the best at what I knew that pushed me. I see myself doing a lot on robotics and AI. I have actually started working on stuff like that and I see myself also delving into business as a consultant and business owner. We need to create awareness and enabling environment by government to those pushing innovation. I have seen a lot of people build some things which are fine but are not cool for African settings. So its good to be innovative but it must be tied to solving a societal problem”.
On his part, the best graduating student, male, Emmanuel Nwachukwu urged government to make environment conducive for thinkers and innovators to thrive.
“Africa’s greatest resource is her people. They are bright, intelligent and have the potentials but when the environment is not set right for you it will be very difficult to flourish. I don’t see looking oversees as an end; it’s a means of building competence. I can then go and know how to do it better and come back here and solve problems. I am investing in myself to leverage on technology knowledge, programming languages and data science”, he said.
