By Taiye Olayemi
The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has pledged support to the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE) following the inauguration of its 22nd President, Dr Felix Adegboye, in Lagos.
Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, Director-General of the commission, described the investiture as a landmark and praised the outgoing leadership for its contributions to the institute.
He stressed engineers’ strategic role in national development, particularly within the power sector, and assured the institute of sustained collaboration with the commission.
“We are very proud of the outgoing leadership and we believe in the initiatives of the new president.
“You can count on the Energy Commission of Nigeria. We will support the institute in addressing challenges and achieving its objectives,” he said.
Abdullahi also congratulated award recipients, noting that their efforts had advanced engineering practice and strengthened national development.
Also speaking, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), reaffirmed the party’s commitment to supporting the institute.
Represented by Mr Vonkur Nankpak, a member of NIEEE, said engineers remained central to technological innovation and infrastructure growth across the country.
He assured the institute of continued partnership between the party and the engineering community to promote education, research and sustainable national progress.
Chairman of the occasion, Mr Tomi Araromi, said Nigeria’s ambition to lead in the digital economy was constrained by persistent energy and infrastructure challenges.
Araromi, founder of iRecharge Tech Innovations, said a thriving digital economy depended on reliable electricity and resilient infrastructure.
“The digital economy cannot thrive on blackouts. Data centres cannot function without stable and renewable power, while emerging technologies depend on reliable systems.
“As engineers, you are not just problem-solvers but foundational architects of the digital economy.
“Your work in ensuring stable power, robust telecommunications and innovative solutions will drive future tech start-ups and innovations across sectors,” he said.
He urged closer collaboration among engineers, scientists, regulators and innovators to deliver sustainable, technology-driven solutions.
Delivering the lecture, Dr Oluremi Okunade, Managing Director of Xerox Nigeria Ltd., highlighted urgent gaps in skills, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure across West Africa.
He stressed the need for home-grown solutions, noting shortages of network engineers, cybersecurity experts, data scientists and embedded systems engineers.
Okunade warned that many talented professionals were migrating abroad for better opportunities, weakening the region’s capacity.
He also raised concerns over rising cybercrime, scams and data breaches, which he said continued to erode trust in digital services.
“Building a resilient digital economy requires secure systems and strong institutions,” he said.
Okunade further cited fragmentation and weak connectivity among government platforms and organisations as barriers to productivity.
“These are not reasons to be discouraged. They are precisely the engineering challenges that this institute is uniquely positioned to help solve,” he said.