By Angela Atabo/Fortune Abang
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE)and partners have inaugurated the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO),to bridge academia and industry gap in Nigeria.
The NSE President, Margaret Oguntala, said this in her keynote address on Thursday in Abuja during the inauguration of the maiden Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO).
The national programme is designed to identify, nurture, and commercialise engineering talent across tertiary institutions.
Olympiad also aims to tackle pressing needs in infrastructure, manufacturing, energy transition, sustainability and digital technology, as ultimate goal to produce a generation of job creating engineers, problem solvers and globally competitive innovators.
The event was organised by Enactus Nigeria through partnership with NSE, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Renaissance Africa Energy Company (RAEC), and the First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P).
Oguntala said, “As the foremost Engineering professional body, NSE believes that the ideation of new ideas is critical for professional development and community impact.
“Every great invention in history began with an idea. All the transformations humanity has seen from the steam engine, to towering skyscrapers, electricity, internet and artificial intelligence started as ideas acted upon.
“Ideas do shape the world. The power of ideas in transforming societies cannot be overemphasised; indeed, great nations have stood on the shoulders of men and women of ideas to advance growth and development.
“Nigeria is brimming with such creative minds in our universities. In our quest to turn technological development as a nation, NEO offers dynamic platform for students to unleash innovative capacity, as collective effort to create environment where ideation can truly thrive.”
Oguntala, also Chairman-in-Council, stressed the need for stakeholders from across government agencies, academia, industry leaders and media to prioritise NEO.
In a remark, Omatsola Ogbe, Executive-Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), commended Olympiad to have aligned with the Federal Government’s policy drive for indigenous innovation and industrial competitiveness.
Ogbe, represented by Abayomi Bamidele, Director Capacity Building of NCDMB, explained ongoing capacity building programmes in petroleum engineering, robotics, digital technology and advanced technical disciplines efforts would help to reinforce the Olympiad’s talent pipeline.
He disclosed that industry surveys showed not less than 79 per cent of engineering graduates lacked practical and hands-on competencies aligned with global standards a challenge NCDMB said must be addressed urgently.
According to him, engineering skills deficit contributed to shortage of competent local engineers, heavy reliance on expatriates, and increasing brain drain.
“Nigeria has a population exceeding 237 million people; nearly half of West Africa, yet only about 5 per cent of our engineering graduates are industry ready at graduation.
“This Olympiad provides a structured pathway to identify and support young innovators who can design solutions for our national challenges,” he said.
For his part, Enactus Nigeria’s Country Director, Michael Ajayi, emphasised that national-scale impact can only come from strong collaboration across government, private sector and civil society.
Ajayi said, “This partnership proves that when we combine policy support, private-sector systems and non-profit expertise, we can deliver transformational impact not just for individuals, but for entire industries.
“Olympiad’s objectives include encouraging students to apply classroom knowledge to real-life problem-solving and enabling them to build engineering-driven businesses that generate jobs and wealth.”
The Olympiad designed to run a seven-month cycle will feature regional contests, intensive mentorship, prototype development and a national grand finale scheduled to hold in April 2026.
Highpoint of the event was goodwill messages by Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, represented by Ebiho Agun, Tech Adviser to the Minister, Dr Adebisi Osim, President, Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, unveiling of website and call action.(NAN)
