Lagos: An engineer and transformational leader, Mrs. Valerie Agberagba, has called for stronger collaboration among disciplines, and mentorship between older and younger engineers to drive national development. Agberagba made the call while delivering a lecture at the 2025 Elders’ Roundtable and Public Lecture organised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Apapa Branch.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the meeting had the theme: ‘Knowledge Without Borders: Bridging the Divide for National Development’. She emphasized that for any nation to develop, knowledge must be treated as a key resource and freely shared across professions, sectors, and regions. “When we talk about knowledge without borders, it means there should be no limit to where knowledge can go. For any nation to develop, knowledge is the currency, not naira or dollars,” she said.
Agberagba urged engineers and professionals to work together and break barriers that hinder learning and innovation, adding that progress would come when people shared ideas across fields. She identified several factors responsible for knowledge gaps in Nigeria, including centralised systems, outdated school curricula, poor synergy between academia and industry, and unwillingness to share expertise. “Gone are the days when we worked in silos. Civil, mechanical, electrical, and materials engineers must now come together to solve national challenges,” she said.
She also proposed a cross-disciplinary innovation challenge to bring professionals from different fields together to design practical solutions to Nigeria’s problems. The President of NSE, Mrs. Margaret Oguntala, said collaboration remained one of her administration’s priorities. “When I came in as the president, collaboration was part of my agenda; collaboration with government, industry, and academia. We have signed several partnerships locally and internationally,” she said.
Oguntala noted that the NSE recently signed an agreement with the World Green Design Organisation, enabling Nigerian engineers to become certified green design concept experts and apply global standards to local projects. She stressed that engineering cannot be practiced in isolation, as every successful project involved contributions from different specialists.
The Chairman of NSE Lagos Branch, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, commended the lecture and urged engineers, especially women, to continue mentoring younger professionals. “If as a leader you can’t reproduce yourself, then you’ve not led well. We must keep sharing knowledge. It’s a joy to see those I’ve mentored doing well,” she said. Kesha advised female engineers to remain diligent and qualified for leadership positions, noting that women must prove their abilities through performance.
Earlier, the Chairman of NSE Apapa Branch, Mr. Emmanuel Okolo, said the roundtable aimed to bring senior and young engineers together for mentorship and knowledge sharing. “We wanted to create a platform where the older and younger engineers interact, exchange ideas, and learn from one another,” he said. Okolo added that such engagements would strengthen the profession and encourage continuous learning among members.
NAN reports that Okolo administered the oath of membership to 12 new members who were inducted into the NSE Apapa Branch at the event. After the oath administration, the NSE President urged the new inductees to uphold the ethics and values of the society. She reminded them that membership was voluntary and required discipline, integrity, and respect for the association’s rules.