Nigeria must build own machines to accelerate growth – Engineers

The Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers has called for greater investment in indigenous technology and local manufacturing, saying the country must reduce its dependence on imported machinery and develop home-grown engineering solutions to address insecurity, unemployment and economic challenges.

The National Chairman of NIMechE, Babagana Modu Tela, made the call in his welcome address at the institution’s 39th International Conference, Exhibitions and Annual General Meeting, tagged Jewel 2026, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Tela said mechanical engineering should be recognised as an instrument of national transformation, stressing that the profession had a critical role to play in strengthening security, improving energy supply, expanding manufacturing and supporting economic diversification.

The conference has as its theme, ‘Mechanical Engineers as Catalysts of Innovation for Enhanced Security and Sustainable National Development’.

“At a time when nations are increasingly confronted by security challenges, technological dependence, energy constraints, climate change, unemployment and the urgent need for economic diversification, the Mechanical Engineering profession must continue to evolve. We must move beyond seeing engineering merely as a technical profession,” he said.

He added, “Engineering must be recognised as an instrument of national transformation.”

Tela urged the government, universities, polytechnics, research institutions and private companies to work more closely to turn research findings into practical technologies that could be manufactured and deployed locally.

He said Nigeria had enormous human and material resources but needed to improve its capacity to transform them into productive industries.

He challenged mechanical engineers to find ways to strengthen local manufacturing, reduce dependence on imported machinery and spare parts, encourage young professionals to become entrepreneurs and bridge the gap between academic research and industrial needs.

“These are some of the questions that this conference should help us answer,” he said.

The NIMechE chairman also linked engineering innovation to national security, noting that modern security systems increasingly depended on technology, including surveillance equipment, unmanned platforms, communications infrastructure, power systems and specialised defence technologies.

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He said mechanical engineers had a responsibility to develop technologies that strengthened national resilience while supporting peaceful and sustainable development.

“As Mechanical Engineers, our responsibility is to contribute professionally and ethically to the development of technologies that strengthen national resilience while supporting peaceful and sustainable development,” Tela stated.

He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, academia, industries and professional bodies to ensure engineering expertise was directed towards solving practical problems.

The chairman also urged the institution to prioritise young engineers through mentorship, professional training, research opportunities, entrepreneurship support and international exposure.

“The future of Mechanical Engineering in Nigeria belongs to our young engineers, technologists, researchers and students. We must provide them with opportunities for mentorship, professional development, entrepreneurship, research and international exposure,” he said.

Tela encouraged young professionals to use the conference to engage experienced practitioners, researchers, industry leaders and policymakers, adding that innovation required courage, curiosity, collaboration and persistence.

“Let us build an engineering profession where young Nigerians can confidently say: ‘I can design it, I can manufacture it, and I can improve it,’” he said.

He urged participants to use the technical sessions and exhibitions to establish partnerships between academic researchers and industries, enabling businesses to identify research expertise and universities to understand the practical problems requiring engineering solutions.

Tela further called on NIMechE to sustain its contribution to public policies on manufacturing, energy, infrastructure and industrial development, while upholding professional ethics, competence, safety and service to humanity.

He identified automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and smart systems as areas requiring greater attention as the profession responds to technological changes.

Earlier, the Chairman of the 2026 Conference Planning Committee, Rose Madaki, said the gathering provided an opportunity for mechanical engineers to exchange ideas, showcase innovations, strengthen professional relationships and develop practical solutions to national challenges.