#NIC2017: NIMechE, Royal Academy of Engineers plans schools’ innovation challenge competition in Nigeria

Moved to ensure the growth of young engineers, the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineering (NIMechE) has concluded plans to host an innovative challenge in engineering.

The initiative tagged: “NIMechE Innovation Challenge 2017”, sponsored by Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) will feature about 10 tertiary institutions that offer mechanical engineering within Lagos and its environs. The competition will commence earlier this month.

Speaking on the programme, Chairman of Lagos Chapter, Engr Mrs. Funmi Akingbagbohun, said the programme is to support the discovery of new ideas and solutions in the areas of agriculture, power supply, renewable energy and automation which could potentially create jobs, promote development as well as entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

Akingbagbohun hoped that the programme would address issues of capacity building and strengthening engineering profession, which will result in Nigeria growth especially in gaining recovery from the economic recession.

Expectedly, she informed that entries will be accepted from mechanical engineering students who must be registered student member of NIMechE, registered in the 2016/2017 academic session, be an individual or a team of not more than two persons. They must also provide a letter of identification from their head of department as well as provide detailed description and drawing of an original idea in recycling.

“Thirteen entries and three winners will be selected based on; originality of ideas, innovativeness (providing better solution to economic challenge, cost effectiveness in replicating, commercial viability and the use local content. The challenge, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria, will set the standard for other competitions. It will also provide opportunity to engage stakeholders both locally and internationally by strengthening cooperation in the area of technology”, she explained.

Commenting on the initiative, the Chairman of Nigerian Society Engineers (NSE), Victoria Island branch, Abdulrasheed Moyosore, observed that the programme will in no small measure, boost the internal capability of engineering profession and increase the confidence of practitioners as well as reduce the nations’ dependency on importation of engineering equipment needed in agriculture and other sectors of the economy.

Moyosore told The Guardian that engineering has the capacity to hasten Nigeria out of recession, if stakeholders look in-ward to develop innovation for local development rather than dependency on foreign tools for development.

Read the full Text of Address here: