Lagos: The Nigerian Society of Engineers, Ikeja Branch, has launched a career acceleration programme for young engineers to strengthen practical, digital and entrepreneurial skills.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the programme, known as NIBCAP, was unveiled during the branch’s 2026 Annual Business Luncheon in Lagos. The luncheon had the theme, ‘Reclaiming the Built Environment Value Chain: Strengthening Standards, Regulation and Investment in Nigeria’s Construction Ecosystem’. The event gathered engineers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to examine strategies for formalising and strengthening Nigeria’s engineering value chain.
Prof. Oluwatoyin Ashiru, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun, described NIBCAP as a strategic intervention for young professionals. Ashiru said the initiative would bridge the gap between academic training and industry expectations in an increasingly competitive global economy. According to him, the programme combines technical competence, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, professional development, and career readiness for aspiring engineers.
He emphasized that many graduates leave school with certificates but without sufficient practical competence, industry exposure, digital skills, and entrepreneurial capacity. Ashiru noted that mentorship alone was no longer sufficient, stressing that engineers must acquire practical skills in software design, project management, and problem-solving. He highlighted the growing intersection of engineering with artificial intelligence, renewable energy, sustainability, and digital transformation across industries.
Ashiru commended the entrepreneurship component of the programme, advocating that engineers should become job creators instead of relying solely on employment opportunities. He stated, ‘The future engineer must not only be employable. The future engineer must also be capable of employing others.’
Mrs. Margaret Oguntala, immediate past President of the NSE, urged other branches and divisions to replicate the initiative nationwide, emphasizing the importance of an inclusive engineering profession that supports all workers within the built environment value chain. Mrs. Niimot Muili, Chairman of the NSE Ikeja Branch, said the luncheon addressed the dominance of informal operators across critical sectors and aimed to sanitize and formalize the value chain while creating opportunities for skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers.
Muili stated that the programme would initially accommodate about 150 participants drawn from the branch’s existing mentoring pool. She explained that the programme would run through awareness, learning, and industry exposure phases for graduates and practicing engineers, ensuring employers can be confident in the capabilities of these young engineers.