Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President/Chief Executive, Dangote Industries Ltd. on Tuesday called on local engineers to collaborate towards boosting manufacturing to eliminate capital flight and speed up Nigeria’s industrialization.

Dangote, represented by Group General Manager/Human Resources, Dangote Projects, Mr. Fola Ali, said this at a luncheon organized by the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) as part of activities to mark the 2021 engineering week.

The theme of the program was “Integrated Engineering Development As A Catalyst For Home Grown Industrial Revolution.”

Dangote called for youth mentorship and a power sector revolution for the nation’s speedy industrialization and safety of the environment.

“We need to get ourselves empowered, we should encourage collaboration among members of our distinguished NSE branches. We have engineers who cannot stand alone, you can come together,” he said.

He said if engineers collaborated, it would boost manufacturing, address capital flight and enhance local capacity development.

Mr Devakumar Edwin, Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Dangote Industries Ltd. who joined the meeting via zoom, said industrialization could be speedily achieved through manufacturing.

Edwin commended the knowledge and skills of local engineers, saying they had the capacity to uplift Nigeria.

“They are the best that I have seen,” he said.

He said Nigerian engineers were excellent but needed more exposure to be able to make a greater impact.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Mr. Rotimi Thomas, Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure in the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, felicitated the NSE on its program, saying local content development was important.

The Ikeja NSE also presented a Preliminary Report on Lagos State Engineering Index and Infrastructure Scorecard to Sanwo-Olu.

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, called for collaboration to close the gap between power generation and distribution while calling for the adoption of clean energy as well as energy mix.

He said the energy mix would provide Nigeria with additional sources of energy for industries to thrive while the environment would benefit from clean energy.

“We have to know that production of power is wealth generation for the country,” he said.

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Represented by his Special Adviser, Mr. Ilori, Aregbesola challenged engineers to do more to boost the capacity of young engineers through mentorship.

The guest speaker, Mr. Adeoye Fadeyibi, Managing Director/CEO, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), spoke on the topic “Discos Policy and Guidelines for Energy Consumers Satisfaction.”

Fadeyibi, represented by his General Manager, Mr. Adeyinka Adewumi, enumerated efforts to meet the power the needs of customers.

He said the policies of EKEDC on metering and billing were aimed at boosting consumer satisfaction.

The Chairman, Ikeja Branch, NSE, Mr. Olutosin Ogunmola, while making his opening speech, said power was important to industrialization, “Any nation without industrial production is not going anywhere.”