By Festus Oseji & Peter Ibezim
In a heartfelt and faith-infused handover address at the investiture ceremony of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), immediate past President Engr. Felix O. Olu, FNIEEE, reflected on his extended 32-month tenure as a “rare divine privilege,” crediting divine intervention and collective member support for significant institutional growth.
Speaking recently in Lagos, Engr. Olu in his welcome address appreciates God, whom he described as the “Owner of Power” and sole provider of opportunities to serve humanity. He explained that he assumed office suddenly due to unforeseen “life happenings” which made him serve beyond the standard 24-month term as stipulated in the NIEEE constitution.
Emphasizing the importance of succession, he quoted: “Success without a Successor is Failure in disguise,” before warmly welcoming guests, elders, past presidents of the Institute’s “backbones”, the new National Executive Committee, Fellows, chapter chairmen, members, and students. He expressed deep gratitude for their cooperation, advice, and contributions during his tenure.
Engr. Olu delivering his address underscored NIEEE’s trajectory of growth and continuity amid Nigeria’s engineering challenges, positioning the institute as a key driver of professional excellence and technological advancement.
The ceremony marked a smooth transition to the 22nd President, Engr. (Dr.) Felix A. Adegboye, FNSE, FNIEEE, who in his investiture speech called for policy reforms to attract digital infrastructure investments and emphasized grassroots empowerment through the chapters. Stakeholders, including the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) and representatives from political and industry bodies, pledged continued support, with reports confirming the event’s focus on innovation, power sector resilience, and national development.
Also in attendance was the Director General / CEO Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi FNSE, CEng, MIMechE, who pledged his support to the incoming president just before an award of a Gold member was presented to him by the institute.
Speaking on the theme “Resilient and Intelligent Digital Solutions: Sure Way to Nigeria’s Economic Growth”, in a compelling guest lecture delivered by Engr. Dr. Olufemi Okunade, FNSE, FIoD, FIDT, FNIM, FIMC, FIDMN, the Managing Director/CEO of Xerox Nigeria Limited, declared that resilient and intelligent digital solutions represent a “national survival strategy” for Nigeria’s economic advancement.
He opined that Nigeria is an economy under pressure yet brimming with potential. He noted that while GDP growth has hovered just above 3% annually driven largely by services, inflation remains high, living costs are biting, and oil’s traditional dominance has faded. Against this backdrop, the digital economy has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most dynamic and resilient sectors, contributing 16–19% of GDP in recent years, frequently outpacing oil, and positioning Lagos as “Africa’s Silicon Valley.”
He further anchored the discussion in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020–2030, highlighting its eight pillars — from developmental regulation and solid infrastructure to indigenous content and emerging technologies — as the policy backbone engineers must translate into concrete platforms, products, and services
He in addition, addressed persistent gaps: broadband penetration lagging the 70% target, patchy rural coverage, acute shortages of skilled cybersecurity experts and data scientists, rising cybercrime and widespread lack of interoperability across platforms.
He concluded with the practical “R-I-S-E” test (Resilience, Intelligence, Scalability and Economic impact) for any digital solution in Nigeria.
In a stirring call to action, Okunade urged the engineering community to move from policy commentary to co-architecting systems, shifting Nigeria from importer of technology to producer of resilient, intelligent solutions tailored to its realities. He congratulated the new President and leadership, expressing hope that their tenure would be remembered as the moment NIEEE helped to unlock sustained, and inclusive growth.
In a heartfelt and faith-infused handover address at the investiture ceremony of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), immediate past President Engr. Felix O. Olu, FNIEEE, reflected on his extended 32-month tenure as a “rare divine privilege,” crediting divine intervention and collective member support for significant institutional growth.
Speaking recently in Lagos, Engr. Olu in his welcome address appreciates God, whom he described as the “Owner of Power” and sole provider of opportunities to serve humanity. He explained that he assumed office suddenly due to unforeseen “life happenings” which made him serve beyond the standard 24-month term as stipulated in the NIEEE constitution.
Emphasizing the importance of succession, he quoted: “Success without a Successor is Failure in disguise,” before warmly welcoming guests, elders, past presidents of the Institute’s “backbones”, the new National Executive Committee, Fellows, chapter chairmen, members, and students. He expressed deep gratitude for their cooperation, advice, and contributions during his tenure.
Engr. Olu delivering his address underscored NIEEE’s trajectory of growth and continuity amid Nigeria’s engineering challenges, positioning the institute as a key driver of professional excellence and technological advancement.
The ceremony marked a smooth transition to the 22nd President, Engr. (Dr.) Felix A. Adegboye, FNSE, FNIEEE, who in his investiture speech called for policy reforms to attract digital infrastructure investments and emphasized grassroots empowerment through the chapters. Stakeholders, including the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) and representatives from political and industry bodies, pledged continued support, with reports confirming the event’s focus on innovation, power sector resilience, and national development.
Also in attendance was the Director General / CEO Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi FNSE, CEng, MIMechE, who pledged his support to the incoming president just before an award of a Gold member was presented to him by the institute.
Speaking on the theme “Resilient and Intelligent Digital Solutions: Sure Way to Nigeria’s Economic Growth”, in a compelling guest lecture delivered by Engr. Dr. Olufemi Okunade, FNSE, FIoD, FIDT, FNIM, FIMC, FIDMN, the Managing Director/CEO of Xerox Nigeria Limited, declared that resilient and intelligent digital solutions represent a “national survival strategy” for Nigeria’s economic advancement.
He opined that Nigeria is an economy under pressure yet brimming with potential. He noted that while GDP growth has hovered just above 3% annually driven largely by services, inflation remains high, living costs are biting, and oil’s traditional dominance has faded. Against this backdrop, the digital economy has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most dynamic and resilient sectors, contributing 16–19% of GDP in recent years, frequently outpacing oil, and positioning Lagos as “Africa’s Silicon Valley.”
He further anchored the discussion in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020–2030, highlighting its eight pillars — from developmental regulation and solid infrastructure to indigenous content and emerging technologies — as the policy backbone engineers must translate into concrete platforms, products, and services
He in addition, addressed persistent gaps: broadband penetration lagging the 70% target, patchy rural coverage, acute shortages of skilled cybersecurity experts and data scientists, rising cybercrime and widespread lack of interoperability across platforms.
He concluded with the practical “R-I-S-E” test (Resilience, Intelligence, Scalability and Economic impact) for any digital solution in Nigeria.
In a stirring call to action, Okunade urged the engineering community to move from policy commentary to co-architecting systems, shifting Nigeria from importer of technology to producer of resilient, intelligent solutions tailored to its realities. He congratulated the new President and leadership, expressing hope that their tenure would be remembered as the moment NIEEE helped to unlock sustained, and inclusive growth.
SOURCE: IN HOUSE
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