From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa- born entrepreneur, Azibaola Robert has drummed up support for mechanical engineering as part of efforts to accelerate the development of Nigeria.According to him, it is high time Nigerian engineers pay more attention to the development of mechanical engineering to enable Nigeria as a nation to start the production of machines that produce machines.
Azibaola, a lawyer by training and Chief Executive Officer of Zeetin Engineering, who spoke on Tuesday during the conferment of an honourary Fellowship award of Nigerian Society of Engineers(FSNE) explained that his commitment to engineering was to ensure that Nigerian is technically able to meet the developmental needs of the country.
According to him he believes that the bedrock of the development of any nation was in the mechanical engineering section adding that his goal was to ensure that the little resources that God has given to him will be invested in mechanical engineering while doing civil engineering as well.
Azibaola commended the society for honouring him stressing that the award would push him to do more for the advancement of engineering development.
” I feel sad as a person because sixty years after independence, Nigeria is unable to produce a single engine we can call made in Nigeria whereas 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 engineers are not efficient enough just because they were tried once. They should keep on trying
“I think that if Nigeria can put their 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.
“Now I can say that I’m a practical member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers. I thank the society for giving me the opportunity to be rubbing shoulders with them at this stage of my life. I’m grateful because they found me worthy to be honoured.
“It is particularly a push to take me to the next level of engineering development in Nigeria. My commitment is to ensure that Nigeria, not I is technically able to meet the developmental need of the country,”
Earlier while presenting the award to Azibaola, the president of Nigerian society of engineers Babagana Muhammed, described him as a man with the passion for engineering even though he didn’t read engineering but law.
” Azibaola believes so much that it is only Nigerians that can develop Nigeria the reason why he has employed so many engineers and paid them what is commensurate with what expatriates are paid in Nigeria.
Bayelsa-born entrepreneur, Azibaola bags Fellowship of NSE
