The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ikeja Branch, has launched a new career acceleration programme aimed at preparing young engineers in Nigeria for the changing demands of the modern engineering industry.
The programme, known as the NSE Ikeja Branch Career Acceleration Programme (NIBCAP), was unveiled during the branch’s 2026 Annual Business Luncheon held in Lagos.
The event, themed “Reclaiming the Built Environment Value Chain: Strengthening Standards, Regulation and Investment in Nigeria’s Construction Ecosystem,” brought together engineers, policymakers, construction professionals and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of Nigeria’s engineering and construction sectors.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ashiru, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Olabisi Onabanjo University, described NIBCAP as a strategic initiative designed to bridge the growing gap between classroom education and industry expectations.
According to him, many engineering graduates in Nigeria leave school with certificates but lack practical industry experience, digital competence and entrepreneurial skills needed in today’s competitive economy.
“One of the greatest challenges facing young engineers today is not a lack of intelligence. Nigerian youths are exceptionally brilliant,” Ashiru said.
“The real problem is that many graduates leave school with certificates but without sufficient practical competence, industry exposure, digital skills and entrepreneurial capacity.”
Ashiru explained that the programme would focus on practical engineering knowledge, software design, project management, problem-solving, digital literacy and entrepreneurship.
He also noted that engineering is rapidly evolving with the rise of artificial intelligence, renewable energy, sustainability and digital transformation across industries, making continuous learning important for professionals.
“Any engineer who refuses to evolve may soon discover that technology has respectfully retired him before pension age,” he said.
He further commended the entrepreneurship aspect of the programme, stressing that engineers should move beyond depending only on paid employment.
“The future engineer must not only be employable. The future engineer must also be capable of employing others,” Ashiru added.
Immediate past President of the NSE, Mrs Margaret Oguntala, praised the Ikeja Branch for introducing the initiative and called on other NSE branches across the country to adopt similar programmes.
“The Ikeja Branch has set the pace by launching this career programme. It is something that every branch should aim to implement,” she said.
Oguntala also spoke on the need for a more inclusive engineering ecosystem that supports both professionals and workers across the built environment value chain.
“We as professionals must help them by creating an inclusive system where everyone is brought together, trained and made to realise that we are not in competition,” she stated.
Chairman of the NSE Ikeja Branch, Mrs Niimot Muili, said the initiative was also created to address the growing dominance of informal and unregulated operators in sectors such as construction, wastewater management, mining and power.
According to her, the programme is expected to help formalise the engineering value chain while creating opportunities for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
She added that artisans including welders, iron benders and concrete mixers would benefit from the programme’s training and capacity-building opportunities.
Muili disclosed that the first phase of NIBCAP would accommodate about 150 participants selected from the branch’s mentoring pool.
She explained that participants would go through awareness, learning and industry exposure stages designed to improve career readiness for graduates and practising engineers.
“At the end of the process, employers can be confident that these young engineers are ready to deliver,” she said.
She added that the programme was designed as a model that could be replicated by other NSE branches nationwide as the society pushes for stronger standards and improved professional development in Nigeria’s engineering sector.
