- By Ebi Alexander – Yenagoa
The chief executive officer of zeetin engineering Azibaola Robert has called on Nigerian engineers to push for a law that would help promote Nigerian based content in the production of machines, saying the bedrock of development of any nation is in the mechanical engineering sector.
Speaking shortly after receiving an honorary award from Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Azibaola, a lawyer, said that it is disappointing that as the biggest black nation in the world, Nigeria is yet to produce an engine that can be called 100 per cent made in Nigeria.
He said that in spite of the fact that he is a trained lawyer, his desire has always been to ensure that Nigerian is technically able to meet its developmental needs by encouraging Nigerian engineers give more attention to the development of mechanical engineering.
Explaining further, he said that it was time for Nigeria as a nation to start the production of machines that can in turn produce machines, and that his goal was to ensure that the little resources that God has given to him will be invested in mechanical engineering.
In his words “I’m thinking that the bedrock of development of any nation is in the mechanical engineering section and my goal is to ensure that the little resources that God has given to me will be invested in mechanical engineering while doing civil engineering as well.
“I feel sad as a person because sixty years after independence, Nigera is unable to produce a single engine we can call made in Nigeria where as we are two hundred and sixty million people in this country and we are the biggest black nation in the world.
“Our taste for luxurious products abroad should be checked. The government should not conclude that Nigerian engineer are not efficient enough just because they were tried once. They should keep on trying
“I think that if Nigeria can put theirs acts together, the social injustice that is happening to black people will be greatly reduced. Let us work together as a nation because this nation is great.”
For the NSE, he said “thank you for honouring me. Now I can say that I’m a practical member of Nigeria society of engineers. I thank the society for giving me the opportunity to be robbing shoulders with them at this stage of my life. I’m greatful becuase they found me worthy to be honored.
“It is particularly a push to take me to the next level of engineering development of Nigeria. My commitment is to ensure that Nigerian not myself is technically able to meet the developmental need of the country.”
Presenting the award to Azibaola earlier, the president of NSE, Babagana Muhammed, described him as a man with the passion for engineering even though he studied law and not engineering in the university.
Babagana said “Azibaola believes so much that it is only Nigerians that can develop Nigeria the reason why he has employed so many engineers and paying them what is commensurate with what expatriates are paid in Nigeria.”
