Dr. Felix Atume, a past registrar for the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), is calling on the federal government to support and empower Nigerian engineers as they work towards advancing the nation. During the 2024 annual memorial lecture series in honour of late Engr. Joseph Makoju, Atume presented the keynote address at the event held at Adankolo campus of Federal University Lokoja. The lecture, titled The challenges of Infrastructure development in Nigeria – The importance of Engineering capacity, was organized by the university in collaboration with Engineer Makoju Foundation.
The former Registrar of COREN emphasized the importance of ingenious engineers and local content in achieving development, stating that no nation can succeed without their commitment and contribution. He emphasized that the government’s political will plays a crucial role in developing sufficient engineering capabilities within a country. This includes challenging citizens with new tasks they have never tried before in order to foster growth in this field. He believes that relying too heavily on foreign engineering companies will not lead to the effective development of the nation.
Bringing in the private sector to assist with infrastructure development.
He argues that it is important to support and promote the skills of local engineering companies in order to progress. The potential consequences of Nigerian engineers and professionals being left out of infrastructure development projects while foreigners take the lead are significant. This situation could lead to increased unemployment, unrest among young people, violence, and Insecurity within society. The importance of having a strong theoretical background combined with practical experience in Engineering is widely recognized. It is imperative for the Nigerian government to start harnessing its human and material resources for the progress of the country, he emphasized.
Also, Dr. Atume asserted that by implementing reforms in the transportation sector, the country can experience significant economic growth. These reforms have the ability to create more jobs, develop a strong engineering workforce, and improve the overall quality of services provided. He emphasized the importance of bringing in the Private Sector to assist with infrastructure development by implementing Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to drive the necessary change in approach. At the start of the event, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, the university’s Vice Chancellor, expressed gratitude to the families and loved ones of the late Engr. Makoju for their presence at the second memorial lecture.
A lecture theatre hall & scholarships for engineering students in the Uni.
His intention for the memorial lecture was to not just honour the past, but to inspire and revitalize the engineering industry in order to contribute to the growth and development of the nation. During her speech, Mrs. Gladys Makoju expressed gratitude towards the guest lecturer for their thorough research on the country’s infrastructure development. She also pledged to construct a lecture Theatre hall and provide scholarships for engineering students at the University in honour of her late husband, Engr. Makoju. From May 20, 2008, Joseph Makoju was an Honourary Adviser on Electric Power to the President of Nigeria.
More so, he held the position of Special Adviser (Electric Power) under two different administrations of President Goodluck Jonathan. Makoju passed away on April 11, 2022, at the age of 73. In addition to serving as the President/Chief Executive’s Special Adviser at Dangote Group, he also chaired the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and sat on the Executive Board of the West African Power Pool. Makoju stepped down from his role as Group Managing Director/ CEO of Dangote Cement PLC in April 2018 after holding the position for several years.
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Before this, he served as the managing director and CEO of Nigeria’s national Electricity utility, formerly known as NEPA/PHCN. The government chose him for the role due to his successful track record in the private sector. For nearly ten years, Makoju served as the head of the West African Portland Cement Company, the largest cement manufacturer in Nigeria at the time. Following his role as the leader of NEPA, he was later chosen as a Special Adviser to three different Nigerian presidents in succession.