The Minister of State Niger Delta Affairs, Architect Darius Dickson Ishaku has lamented that the standard of engineering profession has dropped drastically, which is not unconnected with the lack of educational facilities in the nation's ivory towers today.
The Minister disclosed this during a maiden public lecture of the Institute of Appraisers and Cost Engineers, with the theme, 'Cost Engineering in Total Cost Management of the Economy,' in Abuja.
He said, "I am really worried at the low standard of engineering profession this days, the engineers that have done so much for this country are gradually fading away.
"In spite of the national challenges, Nigerian engineers have kept the national power plant running for decades which in itself is very impressing. I would also like to use this opportunity to appeal to engineers to give value for money. Aside this, older engineers should endeavour to transfer in totality knowledge to upcoming engineers."
In his paper presented on the occasion, Mr. Otis Anyaeji who is the founding Chairman Institute of Appraiser and Cost Engineers, maintained that there are abandoned projects all over place because cost engineering has not been recognised in the economy, and even if they are, they are not being followed.
According to him, "In facing the fact of unemployment on ground all the sectors of the economy have to be revived at once for employment to be quickened. If the economy is gotten right everyone will get employed. Nigeria will go back to the days where the government employed youths even before they leave the universities."
The highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of awards to deserving personalities by the institute including: Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Oluwagbemiga Kuye, Darius Dickson Ishaku, Mustafa Balarabe Shehu, Kasim Abdul Ali, Mr. James Olotu among others.
