"ENGINEERING: A DESIRABLE PRAGMATIC PROFESSION OF THE 21ST CENTURY"

ENGINEERING:
A DESIRABLE PRAGMATIC
PROFESSION OF THE 21ST
CENTURY
AN INDUCTION LECTURE
Delivered @ the
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING OYE EKITI
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OYE EKITI
by
Samson O. OJOAWO, MNSE, MNICE, COREN Regd., AMASCE,
Ph.D, Rtn
Professor of Civil Engineering,
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
FRIDAY DECEMBER 17, 2021
1
FUOYE ENGRG INDUCTION LECTURE BY
PROF. S.O. OJOAWO, DECEMBER 17, 2021

PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• MODULE 1 – INTRODUCTION TO
ENGINEERING PROFESSION
• MODULE 2 – REGISTRATION AND
PRACTICE OF ENGINEERING: THE NIGERIAN
CONCEPT
• MODULE 3 – HALLMARKS, TRAITS AND
QUALITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL ENGINEER
2

MODULE 1 – INTRODUCTION TO
ENGINEERING PROFESSION
• What is Engineering?
• Engineering at the beginning, also in the
Scriptures
• Who is an Engineer?
• What are the main branches of
Engineering?
• What are the job prospects for engineers? 3

PROF. S.O. OJOAWO, DECEMBER 17, 2021 4
Ice breaking session 01:
From: http://www.mos.org/eie/pdf/research/Pipeline_EiE_evaluation_0405_final.pdf

Which of these products are examples of technolo

1.1 What is Engineering?
• The word engine and ingenious were
derived from the same Latin root,
‘ingenerare’ which means ‘to create’.
• Also the English verb ‘engine’ means ‘to
contrive’ or ‘to invent’.
• The New Encyclopaedia Britannica
defined Engineering as “the professional
art of applying science to the optimum
conversion of the resources of nature
6
FUOYE ENGRG INDUCTION LECTURE BY PROF. S.O.
OJOAWO, DECEMBER 17, 2021

Engineering Definitions cont’d
• Engineering is “the art of directing the
great resources of power in nature for the
use and convenience of man” - Joseph
Barker
• Engineering is a “profession in which
knowledge of mathematics and natural
sciences, gained by study, experience,
and practice, is applied with judgment to
develop ways to use, economically, the
materials and forces of nature for the
benefit of mankind” - Accreditation Board

1.2 Engineering at the beginning
• Engineering is almost as old as any human art
in the world.
• In the Scriptures, God is the 1st Engineer
(Gen1:3, Heb3:4,11:10,Ex14:21-
22,Is35:8,Rom4:17b); then individuals like Noa
(Gen6:14); Bezaleel and Aholiab (Ex36:2); King
Solomon (IKgs6:2); King Uzziah (2Chr26:15),
etc
• From the historical records, IMHOTEP was the
first Engineer known by name and
achievement.
• Imhotep, around 2550 BC built the famous
stepped pyramid at Saqqarah, near Memphis,

• Some of Imhotep’s successors –
Egyptian, Persian, Greek and Roman –
applied mathematics and basic
physical sciences in sustaining
Engineering profession
• Some of their structures include The
Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria,
Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, The
Colloseum in Rome, The Persian and
Roman Highways, The Pont du Gard
Aqueduct in France among others.

• Medieval European Engineers also
contributed immensely to the growth of
Engineering in the 13th Century with the
applications of geometry, natural sciences
and draughtmanship.
• About the same time in the far East, in
India, China, Japan and other regions
Engineering had similar developments in
the aspects of construction, hydraulics,
metallurgy etc which aided the creation of
civilized structures like the Mongol

Science versus Engineering
• Science:
• – Investigation, understanding, and discovery of
nature,
its composition, and its behavior (i.e., “laws of
nature”)
• – The Why ?
• – Build (experiments, tools, devices, etc.) to learn
• Engineering:
• – Manipulating the forces of nature to
advance
humanity FUOYE ENGRG INDUCTION LECTURE BY

1.3 Who is an Engineer?
• The one who practices engineering is
known as the engine-er.
• At the beginning, he could either be:
 the military engineer who designed
engines of war like catapults, floating
bridges, assault towers etc,
 or the civilian counterpart who applied the
same knowledge and skills to devise
structures, roads, water and sewage
systems and so on, for the benefit of
humankind. FUOYE ENGRG INDUCTION LECTURE BY

A team of engineers brainstorming
on a given task

• An engineer therefore, is considered to be
an ingenious person who applies
scientific principles and technical
knowledge acquired over a given period
in tackling the real life challenges.
• He harnesses the great sources of natural
deposits to make life easier for himself
and both his immediate and remote
environments.
• He is in a position to make necessary
judgments in adapting knowledge to
practical purposes
• he proffers original solutions to arising

1.4 What are the main branches
of Engineering?
Generally there are so many branches of
Engineering in this 21st century, some of them
are:
• Aeronautic/aerospace
• Agricultural
• Architectural
Automotive
• Bioengineering
• Biochemical
Biological
• Biomedical
• Ceramic
• Chemical
• Civil

• Computer
• Construction
• Cryogenic
• Electrical
• Electronic
• Environmental
• Industrial
• Manufacturing
Marine
• Materials
• Mechanical

• Mechatronics
• Metallurgical
• Mining
• Naval
• Nuclear
• Petroleum
• Software
• Structural
• Systems
• Textile
• Tissue
Transportation

The following however are the
Key/common Engineering Branches:

19
1. Civil Engineering
Engineering,
concerned
with the
design and
construction
of
Skyscrapper
s, Buildings,
Bridges,
Roads,
Foundations
, Dams,
Water
Treatment/S
upply,
Tunnels,
Utilities and
other kinds
of

Civil
Engineerin
g cont’d

2. Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical
Engineering,
concerned
with the
design,
machinery,
automobiles
, production,
manufacturi
ng, energy,
airspace,
systems, etc

Mechanica
l
Engineerin
g cont’d

3. Electronic&Electrical Engineering
Electrical &
Electronic
Engineering,
concerned with
the design,
construction
and operation
of electricity,
electrical and
electronics
circuits,
motors and
generators,
instrumentatio
n, radars,
communicatio
ns and
networks etc

24
Electronic
and
Electrical
Engineerin
g cont’d

4. Chemical Engineering
Chemical
Engineering,
concerned
with the
design
products and
processes,
refineries,
production of
chemicals for
use in
various
industries,
including the
pharmaceutic
al, electronic,
and
photographic
industries,

Mechatronics
Engineering, is an
interdisciplinary
branch of
engineering that
focuses on the
integration of
mechanical,
electronic and
electrical
engineering systems,
and also includes a
combination of
robotics, electronics,
computer science,
telecommunications,
systems, control,
and product
5. Mechatronic Engineering
26

27
Prof Adekunle’s family and mine with the HOD
Mechatronic Engineering in the Demo Lab, NMAM
Institute of Technology, Nitte, Mangalore India in 2014

6. Computer Engineering
Computer
Engineering is
concerned with
- Computer
related
systems (CD-
ROMs, GPS,
etc.) - Robotics
- Virtual reality
systems
Battle-Bots
that can sense
another battle-
bot and react
appropriately
using sensors
and software
to make the
battle-bot
“smart”

7. Aerospace Engineering
Specialize in design, testing, and production of
aircrafts, missiles and spacecrafts. Industries that
hire aerospace engineers: Commercial aviation
Defense programs Space programs

8. Environmental
Engineering
Involved with projects that
work on keeping the water,
air and soil healthy.
Waste management Irrigation
Pollution control Hazardous
site management Water
treatment
Environmental engineers
deal with water supply,
wastewater /sewage
management, pollution
control, housing and physical
planning, vector control

31
9. Agricultural
Engineering
Uses the laws of
physics and
mathematics for the
design,
manufacturing, or
energy & power for
agricultural
machinery for
mechanized farming,

1.5 What are some of the job
prospects for engineers?
Job prospects of the Engineering
profession include, but not limited to
the following:
 Private services (Firms, Industries,
Companies –local and multinationals,
Partnership businesses, Associations
etc.)
 Public/Civil services (Federal, State
and Local Governments). For instance, at present
4 Nigerian State Governors are Registered Engineers viz: Gov Seyi
Makinde (Oyo), Gov. Nweze Umahi (Ebonyi), Gov, Abdulahi Sule

 Research and Development Centres/
Institutes.
 Academics(Universities,Polytechnics,
Monotechnics, Technical Colleges etc) –
upgrading by a Level awaits all
Engineers with COREN in academics,
and entry point of others in Civil Service
is a Step above all cadres.
 Consulting firms (undertaking the
conception, planning, design,
management, operation and
maintenance of giant projects)

MODULE 2
REGISTRATION AND PRACTICE OF
ENGINEERING: THE NIGERIAN CONCEPT
To safely practice Engineering in
Nigeria, it is mandatory to fulfill certain
professional requirements.
These requirements are three-fold:
Education,
Training and
Experience.

• The acquisition of the requirements
would offer a candidate the opportunity
of professional registration with:
 the Nigerian Society of Engineers
(NSE) and subsequently
 Council for the Regulation of
Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) for
practicing license.

• The acceptable educational
backgrounds for registration are the
University’s Bachelor degree and
Polytechnic Higher Diploma.
• A compulsory twelve (12) months pre-
graduation industrial training is
recommended during the study.
• For University undergraduates, this is
segmented into three: 3 months SWEP
each at the completion of 200L and

• Polytechnic students have their 12-
month Industrial Training experience at
a stretch after the completion of the ND
and prior to the commencement of the
HND programme.
• The required post-graduation
experience is a minimum of four (4)
year practice under registered
superiors in the Civil Engineering field
after the National Youth Service Corps
(NYSC) programme.

NSE MEMBERSHIP GRADES:
There are seven grades of NSE
membership:
• Student,
• Graduate,
• Corporate,
• Fellow,
• Associate,
• Corporate Firm and
• Honorary Fellow.
38

NSE DIVISIONS:
For individual career development, 19
Divisions are recognized viz:
• Aeronautical,
• Agricultural,
• Appraisal/Cost Engineering,
• Automotive,
• Chemical,
• Civil,
• Electrical/Electronics,
• Environmental,
• Geotechnical, 39

• Industrial,
• Marine,
• Mechanical,
• Metallurgical,
• Petroleum,
• Space,
• Structural,
• Water
• Safety and
• The Association of Professional
Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN).
40

The Nigerian engineering professional
registration procedure:
– Being a Student Member of the NSE as an
undergraduate and payment of the annual due
on regular basis.
– Possession of four (4) years minimum post-
qualification experience under the supervision
of a senior registered Engineer upon
graduation from a COREN accredited University
programme.
– On the alternative, two (2) years post-
qualification experience for successful
candidates of NSE Graduateship Examinations

–Preparation and submission of
Technical Reports of experience
to include all drawings and Bill of
Engineering
Measurements/Evaluation
(BEME) for two (2) projects
personally executed by the
candidate.
–These must be attested to by the
COREN stamp/seal and signature
of the superior supervising

– Passing means scoring an all-round
minimum of 50% in every aspects of the
professional interview/examination viz:
 Oral interview,
 Technical essay,
 Quantitative reasoning
 Objective questions
 Computer proficiency
(Note that the professional interview holds
four times every year at present).

• Fulfilling all the conditions above offers the
candidate the opportunity of being elected as
a Corporate Member of the NSE by its
National Executive Council (NEC).
• Having been so elected, he is qualified to use
the suffix MNSE (Member, Nigerian Society of
Engineers) after his name.

Registration with COREN
– The candidate having passed the NSE
interview/examination can then proceed in his
application for the registration with COREN.
– Some of the documents to accompany the
duly completed form are:
 NSE corporate membership registration
certificate,
 Report of professional experience,
 Endorsed Certificate of Experience Form by
his
superior Engineer,
 Proposal Form signed by two (2) registered
Engineers in good financial standing with

• COREN at its statutory meeting would
consider the application and approve same
once it meets all the prescribed
requirements.
• The candidate would be asked to endorse
some forms and fulfill certain financial
obligations to the Council after which he
would be enlisted in the Council’s register.
• He would be given a personal registration
number and subsequently provided with
COREN stamp, seal and certificate of
registration.

– The candidate at this point is entitled to
use the prefix ‘Engr’ before his/her name.
– He has to obtain necessary practicing
documents from the NSE and COREN.
– Some of the documents include :
 the Code of Conduct for Engineers,
 Ethics of Engineering Profession,
 Duties of Engineers,
 Articles of Association etc.

• The newly registered Engr is thus
expected to remain in constant touch
with all the professional bodies to be
abreast with the latest developments in
his field and fulfill his financial
obligations annually to these bodies.
• After these, he is now free to practice
as a registered Engineer in Nigeria
48

(a) HALLMARKS OF A GOOD ENGINEER
These are many but some key ones include:
• Time consciousness/Promptness
• Diligence/Strong determination
• Tenacity/Perseverance
• Carefulness/Being responsible
• Faithfulness/truthfulness
• Friendliness/Open mindedness, among
others
MODULE 3 – HALLMARKS, TRAITS AND
QUALITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL ENGINEER
49

(b) Traits of Successful Engineers
They:
are problem solvers
have firm grasp of fundamental principles of
engineering
are analytical,
are detailed oriented,
are creative
have desire to be lifelong learners
have ability to work outside their area of
specialization in other related fields
© 2011 Cengage Learning Engineering.
50

(c) Qualities of an outstanding
engineer
• Good communication skill
• Good time management skills
• Good “people skills/human interation”
• Good team player
• Ability to use modern tools to solve
various engineering problems or to solve
problems in various ways
• Being active in the profession and
community
© 2011 Cengage Learning Engineering. 51

52
Prof Adekunle’s family and mine with the Management
Team of NMAM Institute of Technology, Nitte Mangalore
India in 2014

53
Prof Adekunle’s family and mine developing inter
personal relationships at Mangalore India in 2014

54
Prof Adekunle’s family and mine building a good
relationship at Mangalore India in 2014

CONCLUSION
As you graduate and as you keep on practicing
Engineering, the pragmatic profession:
• Always place service ahead of pecuniary
/monetary gains
• Keep on developing yourself, there are more
opportunities upstage/upstairs
• Be a good ambassador of your family, the
University, and of Nigeria
(SSSS)
May God Almighty prosper your ways, so that you
and yours can reap the good fruits of your labour.
Amen 55

REFERENCES
• BRUNO, T. (2011) “Introduction to Engineering
Profession”. Cengage Learning Engineering
• COREN (2003) “What COREN is” Proceedings
of COREN 12th Assembly, Abuja. Council for the
Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.
• JOHNSTON, J.E (1992) “Site control of
materials – handling, storage and protection “.
London. Butterworths Publishers.

• MOKUOLU, A.O (1996) “The way to Corporate Membership
of the Nigerian Society of Engineers”. THE ABUJA
ENGINEER. Vol 1. No 1.
• OJOAWO, S.O (2021) “Contemporary Civil Engineering
Practice”. Infinity Concept.
• THE NEW ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA (1974) “Civil
Engineer --ing“ Macropaedia “ Vol 4.
• Introduction to Engineering accessed from:
http://www.ciese.org/eofnj/docs/ResearchEiE.pdf on July 1,
2020
• Introduction to Engineering accessed from:
http://www.mos.org/eie/pdf/research/Pipeline_EiE_evaluation
_0405_final.pdf on July 1, 2020
• MELODY, M. AND JANICE, M. (2018) “Introduction to
Engineering” A term paper presented at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology

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"ENGINEERING: A DESIRABLE PRAGMATIC PROFESSION OF THE 21ST CENTURY"

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