As Nigeria aims to diversify its Economy beyond oil through boosting other major sectors and Infrastructure development, fostering an engineering sector that is competent in modern technologies is vital to achieving this goal as engineers are needed to design, develop, and maintain the machinery, processes, and infrastructure required for industrial growth. But a significant skills deficit plaguing the engineering sector jeopardizes this objective. Only 12% of Nigerian engineering graduates specialize in vital sectors like renewable energy, while over 70% lack the practical skills demanded by companies, according to the Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology and Sciences.
A large number of graduates receive learning utilizing out-of-date curricula that do not meet industry demands or international norms. Considering the limited number of skilled engineers to fill these positions, there is a need for external expertise on large-scale projects, which is exacerbated by the gap between academics and industry. The differences in responsibilities between engineers with a university education, technicians from polytechnics, and graduates of technical schools are not well defined. As a result of this mismatch, technicians have been mistaken for engineers and vice versa, which has led to inefficiencies and widened the skills gap.
Railroad and refinery projects overseen by foreign expertise.
The deficiency of trained indigenous experts in Nigeria has resulted in a shortage of capabilities in the engineering sector, as evidenced by numerous major infrastructure and industrial projects that primarily depend on foreign expertise. One well-known instance is the Construction of the Lagos-Ibadan Railway, which was overseen by the Chinese firm China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as there were insufficiently qualified Nigerian engineers for the job of designing and building railroads. Chinese experience was widely utilized in the project’s technical management, planning, and execution.
Construction of one of the biggest oil refineries in Africa, the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, serves as another illustration. The project required substantial foreign experience in areas such as process engineering, project management, and safety engineering, even though it was driven by Nigerians. Contracts with foreign companies were made to supply advanced technology and specialized knowledge that was not easily accessible to the local labor force. For example, given the absence of local professionals, the American corporation KBR and the Italian company Saipem were involved in different elements of the engineering, procurement, and construction phases.
Entire competitive edge of the sector is impacted.
In addition, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project, which is aimed at improving Nigeria’s domestic gas consumption, has encountered difficulties associated with the lack of local capabilities. In order to complete this project, Nigeria had to collaborate with foreign companies like Oilserv and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) because the country does not have enough pipeline engineers, welders, or other specialists qualified in the oil and gas industry. The increased digitization of engineering processes has led to a major concern regarding the lack of digital skills, including CAD and data analysis.
Most times, local workforce lack proficiency with the advanced digital software and operating tools utilized in modern engineering. The lack of specialists in specialized fields like biomedical, aeronautical, and petroleum engineering hinders the nation’s ability to examine and grow these industries. Also, the entire competitive edge of Nigeria’s engineering sector, productivity, and Innovation are all impacted by these skill gaps. Reforming engineering education, funding technical training, and forging closer ties between academics and business are all necessary to meet these issues.
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These initiatives can be supported by government programs like funding for STEM professions, education, and research. Mentorship programs can assist in bridging the skills and knowledge transfer gap by matching seasoned engineers with less experienced practitioners. Engineers can also benefit from ongoing Education and Professional Development via conferences, webinars, and online courses to stay current on innovations in the field and emerging technology. Nigeria may achieve sustained economic growth, improve its competitiveness, and bridge the skills gap in its engineering sector by promoting a cooperative approach among government, business, and academic institutions.