From Ismail Omipidan and Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that the best way to build a dream Nigeria is to plan like the engineers.
He spoke at the 15th Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Lecture organised by the Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers in Abuja. He noted that engineers apply principles of science to real life situations, using their skills to create, stabilise and sustain.
In his goodwill message at the event, Shettima argued that national challenges did not stem from a lack of knowledge but from the difficulty in applying chase principles with discipline and clarity.
The former governor of Borno State also noted that the theme of the lecture could not have come at a better time because it speaks to the need for coherence between planning and execution.
“The theme of the 2025 Mechanical Engineering distinguished lecture could not have come at a better time. It speaks to the need for coherence between what we plan and what we execute. In engineering, as in budgeting, you cannot alter one variable without recalibrating others. If you do, you lose harmony. This is the reality we face when public policy ignores the logic of proportion and alignment.
“We look forward to learning from your expertise and working with you to bridge the gap between ideas and implementation as well as theoretical knowledge and practical governance. Nigeria reflects the quality of our collective thinking and I trust that your interventions will continue to inspire the transformation we seek.
“Let this gathering emphasise a simple truth; that budgeting, like engineering, demands structure, accuracy and foresight. A nation that hopes to rise must learn to plan like an engineer. Every figure must make sense. Every decision must serve a purpose. That is how we can build the Nigeria of our dreams,” he noted.
Speaking further, Shettima said: “The true measure of any thriving civilisation lies in its respect for numbers, for data, for geometry and for the guiding principles of mathematics. Our national challenges do not stem from a lack of knowledge but from our difficulty in applying chase principles with discipline and clarity.
“Contrary to those who regard quantitative rigour disconnected from reality, nothing could be further from the truth. We are driven by interaction, balance and response. Just as the laws of motion govern machinery, they shape the fortunes of a nation.
“This is why engineers are indispensable to every society. They apply the principles of science to real life situations, using their skills to create, stabilise and sustain. Whether in refining energy systems or designing infrastructure, engineers remind us that life itself is powered by numbers, calculations and calibrated choices; without these, our lives would be marked by chaos and uncertainty,” he said.
Former APC National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, who was the distinguished lecturer, noted that Nigeria is faced with numerous challenges that urgently require mechanical engineering solutions. He spoke on the topic, ‘Imperative Mechanical Engineering Strategies for Socio-Economic Development based on national budgets, challenges and potentials.’
“This topic is with a view to examining the significant roles mechanical engineers should play in improving the socio-economic status of the society in tandem with the national budget for the year.
“The Nigerian budget is drafted to uplift the people in the hope of exploiting available potentials towards solving all palpable and latent challenges of the citizenry.
“The lower and the upper houses, as well as the executive, have done what they probably knew best to do, but the budget without innovative implementation strategies would remain like the carcass of a vehicle, though with an engine of enormous capacity (potentials), but without the wheels, we aren’t going nowhere,” he said.
Zeroing in on situational analysis of the lecture, Omisore argued that, “Our country of today is faced with numerous socio-economic challenges, some or all of which require urgent mechanical engineering solutions.
“A few of the problems include poverty. Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria has a significant poverty rate with more than half the population living on less than N1,500 a day.
“The monetary worth of all goods and services in Nigeria in the last 10 years has shown unfavourable decline and it is important to ask, what are the challenges mechanical engineers may solve in terms of improving the level of industrialisation and quality of labour in contributing to government policies and business capitalisation, towards improving the national GDP.
“Unemployment: currently, the country is characterised by high unemployment rates, especially among the youths, with the consequence of contributing to social unrest, the concurrent deindustrialisation and the declining GDP are pointers to the reality of unemployment.
“Nigeria has tremendous potential for socio-economic development, but it needs to address its challenges and seize its opportunities to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth. While the anticipated budget is not unattainable, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers surely has a huge role to play, deploying all of its specifications in wheeling the country to the desired destination,” the former deputy governor of Osun State said.
In attendance at the event were Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bisi Akande, former governors of Ondo and Kogi states, Olusegun Mimiko and Idris Wada, respectively, former Corps Marshal, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi and National Assembly members, among others.