Concern has been raised by the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) that a lack of maintenance culture and the deterioration of assets are impeding Nigerian economic growth. This was revealed during a press conference held in Lagos to announce the association’s Engineering Week for this year, which began on September 25 and concluded on September 28 at LSDPC, Town Planning Way, Ilupeju Anthony Lagos. Mr. Abdulganiyu Tiamiyu, Chairman of the NIMechE Lagos Chapter, pointed out that many national and state assets were being wasted and that this tendency needed to be reversed. He also revealed that NIMechE was taking steps to correct this occurrence.
He explained why the Engineering Week lecture titled “The Role of Mechanical Engineering in National Assets Maintenance and Management” had been selected. The lack of a culture of maintenance is a big issue in Nigeria. Many resources that may be used to generate income for the country are being wasted. These resources are the property of the government, which means that they ultimately belong to everybody. According to him, this is being considered as a major component that, once addressed, might have a beneficial effect on the progress of the nation as a whole.
Challenges in the country’s infrastructural system will be looked into.
According to the chairman, the issues will be examined by senior members of the association and top engineering specialists who have been carefully selected for the task during Tuesday’s lecture. He stated that following the press conference, the body would travel to the Nigeria Railway Corporation Yard in Ebute Metta for a technical and courtesy visit. He said the government had made recent attempts towards modernizing the nation’s railway sector, thus the trip for the group to have first-hand experience on operations and maintenance. They intend to visit the corporation to make sure these assets are being properly preserved and managed for the national benefit.
Although the lecture focused mostly on the waste of public buildings and other infrastructure in Lagos and Nigeria, Tiamiyu said bad maintenance has been the prevailing issue. He noted that concerns about infrastructure decay leading to petroleum product imports were also discussed by oil and gas experts. It was also revealed that Mr. AbdulWahab Ogunbiyi’s agricultural invention was displayed by the group on Tuesday. He mechanized a system to attract commercialized agriculture. He listed a list of his administration’s accomplishments, such as expanding mechanical engineering training opportunities for all levels of personnel and implementing member welfare initiatives.
National assets and systems are preserved by engineers.
The National Chairman of NIMechE, Engr. Mrs. Olufunmilade Akingbagbohun wrote in her paper on the topic of the contribution of Mechanical Engineering in the upkeep and administration of national assets, saying that mechanical engineers play a crucial role, which includes a country’s infrastructure, equipment, and systems. According to her, some of the most important contributions that mechanical engineering makes to this sector are the preservation of infrastructure, the development of transportation systems, the production and distribution of energy, the production and management of industrial assets, as well as defence and national security.
Explaining the topic further, she mentioned a few other crucial factors, including safety and compliance, research and development, asset management as well as data analytics, and environmental protection. Engr. Akingbagbohun went on to say that mechanical engineering is necessary for the administration and maintenance of national assets because it helps maintain the assets’ durability, safety, and effective operation, all of which are the essential and determining factor for the economic and social well-being of the nation.
Mechanized farming will increase food production and economic growth.
HRH Oba Abdul Wahab Ogunbiyi, owner of Isin Farm Cultivator (IFC) and Eleku of Odo-Eku Isin, Kwara State, made the statement that the people of Nigeria were the country’s greatest resource. He explained that while natural resources are important, they are useless without the proper infrastructure to extract and refine them and that infrastructure does not develop on its own. He stated that IFC is a Mechanical Engineering National Asset that will help mechanize farming in Nigeria, resulting in increased food production and economic growth. A powered-mechanized approach to agriculture and farming activities, he said, is helpful for farmers, the government, researchers/inventors, and business owners of varying sizes in Nigeria due to the IFC.
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NIMechE: Website
