Engineers groom students in project, technology designs

About 30 secondary schools in Lagos have been trained through a ëproject skill competitioní on h engineering innovations that could solve environmental problems using scientific principles.

The programme tagged; ì Idiat Aderemi Amusu project skill competition for secondary studentsî, was organised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ikeja branch and it featured schools within Ikeja and Agege environs.

Out of the number of invited schools, ten participated in project design presentations.

Consequently, Ikeja Senior High School, which designed solar powered fan, emerged in the first position, Iju Senior Grammar School came second with the presentation of a solar powered house while Vetland Senior Grammar School came third through its simple vacuum cleaner. The winners were presented with a HP laptop each.

Addressing participants, the chairman of NSE Ikeja branch, Mrs. Funmi Akingbagbohun emphasised that as old engineers are gradually leaving the practice, there is the need to groom the young ones to develop interest in studying engineering in higher institution and understand engineering innovations, which is critical in solving societal challenges through project designs.

Akingbagbohun said,î Engineering is the bedrock of any nation that wants to develop and that is why we are grooming the young ones. NSE will continue to support students who come up with designs that would help the Nigerian environment to developî.

She said in previous events, ìOne of the students was able to develop the traffic light and a company has taken up the design. Another boy was able to develop a toy car that works and is currently undergoing a scholarship in automobile engineering sponsored by from the NSE Ikeja branch in one of the Nigerian universities.

In a remark, the foremost women engineer who the competition was named after, Mrs. Idiat Amusu harped on educating students in using tools around them to solve the problems of engineering and technology deficit in the society.

“With the innovation and designs from the students, it shows that they have really gone to the basis, thinking about engineering from the tender age. Engineering is something that could be actualised and not in fantasy, it is a reality,” she said.