The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has called for African engineering education to align with global standards while ensuring it adapts to local needs.
During a panel discussion at the 2025 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas, the NSE President, Mrs. Margaret Oguntala, spoke on strengthening collaborations between academia, industry, and government to advance the continent’s engineering capacity and energy innovation.
Oguntala shared strategies to achieve this alignment, including updating curricula, improving faculty development, and fostering innovation.
She spoke on Nigeria’s progress, with the country adopting the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) system, which prioritises practical skills over theoretical knowledge.
This system aims to better prepare students for industry demands, and Oguntala praised the council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) for its provisional membership in the Washington Accord, which supports international education standards.
Oguntala also spoke on the importance of government investment in education, urging the provision of modern training facilities to support hands-on learning.
She revealed that Nigeria is mentoring engineering bodies in Kenya and Ghana to adopt similar standards to strengthen Africa’s engineering workforce.
Despite these strides, Oguntala noted that insufficient funding remains a significant challenge.
She called for more initiatives, such as the innovation hub, to be developed in partnership with the University of Lagos.
Furthermore, Mr. Walter Akpani, Managing Director of Providus Bank, addressed the role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in driving economic growth, especially in the oil and gas sector.
Mrs Bukola Awosanya, representing Emmanuel Emefienim of Premium Trust Bank, also discussed financing strategies for the oil and gas sector, underscoring the importance of long-term, risk-managed funding.
She spoke on the potential of the African Energy Bank initiative, which pools resources to support large-scale energy projects.
Awosanya called for stronger collaboration between banks and energy firms to improve access to funds and mitigate risks.
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