I am yet an engineer-in-training. The information I have and the limited experience I've collected, and am still collecting through Industrial Training, declare that we have practically non-existent engineering in Nigeria. Apart from design, installation and maintenance works; procurement and supply of materials and stuff like that, there appears to be very little actual manufacture and development of modern technological solutions to life's problems (which problems Nigeria has in abundance). I am very concerned about this and want to know what CAN (keeping in mind the peculiarities of the Nigerian business, educational, political and technological environment) be done about this. I expect some people who'll see this post are themselves wondering what to do with the apparently useless knowledge they're collecting under so much stress in the university. Is it completely impossible to be an engineer in the Nigerian setup? Must one end up working as a technician after spending at least 5 grueling years to pick up a bachelor's degree in engineering?

Ihedinobi:

I am yet an engineer-in-training. The information I have and the limited experience I've collected, and am still collecting through Industrial Training, declare that we have practically non-existent engineering in Nigeria. Apart from design, installation and maintenance works; procurement and supply of materials and stuff like that, there appears to be very little actual manufacture and development of modern technological solutions to life's problems (which problems Nigeria has in abundance). I am very concerned about this and want to know what CAN (keeping in mind the peculiarities of the Nigerian business, educational, political and technological environment) be done about this. I expect some people who'll see this post are themselves wondering what to do with the apparently useless knowledge they're collecting under so much stress in the university. Is it completely impossible to be an engineer in the Nigerian setup? Must one end up working as a technician after spending at least 5 grueling years to pick up a bachelor's degree in engineering?

You are very right.
To solve these issues, engineers in Nigeria need to be entrepreneurial, or should I say independent. Learn very quickly, and focus on skills rather than money at the beginning.
In the corporate environment, especially in multinationals, most of the engineering work is already outsourced, so you find that young engineers hardly get quality hands-on experience. You need to gravitate towards areas where you can easily get experience. I hardly find graduate engineers seeking work experience or knowledge in the low-cost construction or automotive industry. Rather you see mechanical and civil engineers going to do Cisco. IT is not an escape route. Nigeria is still looking for innovators, and its not government that will do that per se. We are all looking for jobs where we will be paid like bankers.

Thank you so much for that, AjanleKoko. I believe that is great advice. I spent some time on the Web trying to find companies that would allow me serious hands-on exposure to construction works. I came up with practically nothing. I think they are mostly not on the Web, so how does one find them?

Over the past weekend too, I came to learn that all the calculus and stuff we get force-fed (when we are fed at all) in the university are not utterly useless. They tend to come in handy when real engineering is practiced. For instance, when one is faced with a need of life and technology is called upon to respond to it, calculus and other mathematical tools are employed to relate the various parameters of the issue to one another and work these interrelationships to produce a solution. When rightly and expertly used, these mathematical tools could result in a very useful and market-worthy invention. What's more, mathematics is thought on paper and a full-blown physical system in symbols. But how are we to know this when we're most exposed to "engineering on the fly"? Like you said, the real engineering work tends to be outsourced. It would be really great to be able to marry technical skill to theoretical knowledge.

Are you a civil engineer?

Actually no. I am an electrical/electronic engineer, albeit in name only (if that at all)

Ihedinobi:

Actually no. I am an electrical/electronic engineer, albeit in name only (if that at all)

Even better.
What you need is someone to mentor you. You can also learn things on your own.
Go to Oshodi, get some ICs and couple them together, see what happens.

If you are studying electrical engineering, it's a lot easier for you to learn. Instead of looking for companies to pay you for IT, why don't you go and pay the electronics repair shop, as an apprentice? I guess you'd say that would be 'beneath you' as an engineer.

I swear that sounds both exciting and scary(I mean the IC coupling thing); exciting because it would be a challenge, and scary because I don't know the first thing about coupling (if I were white, I'd be blushin so much my hair'd turn red) and I'm going to have to work a mean budget to start on a habit like that). But I'll do it. Where's the mentor? How about we make it you? You're quite something yourself. Your posts, mmmh, you, sir, are a thinker and I think I need someone who can see someway beyond their bank balance for a mentor. I've had to keep to myself mostly because most of those I wanted to listen to at some point were very "practical" people who thought only of ways to "survive" in the Nigerian economic environment, barring other options.

Ihedinobi:

I swear that sounds both exciting and scary(I mean the IC coupling thing); exciting because it would be a challenge, and scary because I don't know the first thing about coupling (if I were white, I'd be blushin so much my hair'd turn red) and I'm going to have to work a mean budget to start on a habit like that). But I'll do it. Where's the mentor? How about we make it you? You're quite something yourself. Your posts, mmmh, you, sir, are a thinker and I think I need someone who can see someway beyond their bank balance for a mentor. I've had to keep to myself mostly because most of those I wanted to listen to at some point were very "practical" people who thought only of ways to "survive" in the Nigerian economic environment, barring other options.

Hi,
I mentor a lot of people already, so I am afraid I can't take you on.
But I always drop a little advice for people every now and then. You don't really need more than that.

@ Ihedinobi
first of all, you need to know who an engineer is. an engineer is someone that have gone to university(not even hnd polytechnic except polytechnic university as we have in advanced countries) to study your course of choice. to be a technician, you need at least ond and hnd for technologist. if you are undergoing on the job trainnining with no certificate, you are an artisan and with certificate like city and guilds, nabtec e.t.c you are a craftsman

Oga,
the weekend promise??

Cool. I appreciate your offer. I can handle that. Thank you very much. However, in your experience, has all that mathematical mumbo jumbo ever amounted to anything?

lekside44:

@ Ihedinobi
first of all, you need to know who an engineer is. an engineer is someone that have gone to university(not even hnd polytechnic except polytechnic university as we have in advanced countries) to study your course of choice. to be a technician, you need at least ond and hnd for technologist. if you are undergoing on the job trainnining with no certificate, you are an artisan and with certificate like city and guilds, nabtec e.t.c you are a craftsman

If that's who an engineer is, what happened to all our engineering? I mean we have far more than our share of people who "have gone to university to study" their "course of choice", but there is no corresponding engineering? This, of course, does not take entirely away from the merit of your comment. A lot of people wouldn't know the difference between these classes, so to speak. It is true that not everyone who can fix some equipment is an engineer. However, beyond the certificate and the institutions, who is an engineer? My emphasis would be on the type of character and attitude that makes an engineer?

Op: You are perfectly right and I appreciate your concert.

If you study abroad, you will appreciate engineering and really fall in love with it. After getting the theoretical knowledge in the classroom, you have access to the different softwares developed with the application of calculus, differential equations,statistics,probability etc to solve real life problems with mathematical modelling. This will really make you appreciate engineering and love it more. You get the icing on the cake when you now get some years of professional experience abroad.

erasmus185:

Op: You are perfectly right and I appreciate your concert.

If you study abroad, you will appreciate engineering and really fall in love with it. After getting the theoretical knowledge in the classroom, you have access to the different softwares developed with the application of calculus, differential equations,statistics,probability etc to solve real life problems with mathematical modelling. This will really make you appreciate engineering and love it more. You get the icing on the cake when you now get some years of professional experience abroad.

No doubt you're right, but studies abroad are not an option for some people. So what are we going to do about the here and now we're faced with? How do I really become an engineer in the Nigerian setting? What can I do to become who I need to be or do I just live with what obtains?

AjanleKoko:

If you are studying electrical engineering, it's a lot easier for you to learn. Instead of looking for companies to pay you for IT, why don't you go and pay the electronics repair shop, as an apprentice? I guess you'd say that would be 'beneath you' as an engineer.

No, I wouldn't say so. I hadn't noticed that part of your comment at first. I don't understand engineering that doesn't get me dirty hands even though I've not done much of that. I just have never known where to learn reliably. The thing is that I'm not very much interested in the money touted to pump from bearing an electrical/electronic engineer's name, nor am I merely interested in the name of electrical/electronic engineer. I want more than just the technical skills or the theory. I want to be able to try things out with guidance and find the right points of marriage between technical skills and theoretical expertise. I strongly believe that's where Nigeria's production economy's future lies.

Op: Why not try apply for scholarships abroad? instead of saying studying abroad is not an option. I assume you are referring to the cost.
If it is not an option for some people, why not try your best to be among the people who get scholarship to study abroad and then make it an option for themselves. Do not limit yourself.

I think just living with what obtains in the country won't make you fulfilled? or become who you really want to be?

erasmus185:

Op: Why not try apply for scholarships abroad? instead of saying studying abroad is not an option. I assume you are referring to the cost.
If it is not an option for some people, why not try your best to be among the people who get scholarship to study abroad and then make it an option for themselves. Do not limit yourself.

I think just living with what obtains in the country won't make you fulfilled? or become who you really want to be?

You know, that'd be a good plan if I were just fresh out of the secondary school or if I were heading out for further studies. However, while I do not despise education abroad and do not think it is impossible, I also know that the realities of some people's lives do not accommodate that option, as simple as that. What do such people do? I accept that it may be necessary to get mentors, try things out for ourselves. In fact, I can't imagine anything further than that. Maybe in trying things out for ourselves under the tutelage of some good mentors, we may be able to do real engineering.

erasmus185:

Op: You are perfectly right and I appreciate your concert.

If you study abroad, you will appreciate engineering and really fall in love with it. After getting the theoretical knowledge in the classroom, you have access to the different softwares developed with the application of calculus, differential equations,statistics,probability etc to solve real life problems with mathematical modelling. This will really make you appreciate engineering and love it more. You get the icing on the cake when you now get some years of professional experience abroad.

in fact, you have just describe who an engineer is. an engineers is not expected to hold tools and start maintaining. these are only included in their curriculum so that they can make better judgment in their designing for technicians and craftsmen who undertake these task. the technologist only interprets and transforms the engineers design to reality using standards such as BS or ASME standards.

Leave or take it, you would be a very successful engineer later on in life.
I started with the same zeal but today by God's grace I am a lead Engineer practising in Australia. Infact the only black guy in a team of 100 working on a 50billon dollars LNG development project