![Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi visited the GE stand at the recent National Engineering Fair in Maputo](http://www.businessdayonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/mozambique.png)
At the recent National Engineering Fair in Maputo, Mozambique, President Filipe Nyusi stressed the importance of engineers in developing infrastructure that would support the overall growth of the country.
Nyusi officially opened the fair and during his opening speech, he emphasised the important role engineering plays in supporting the economy. A qualified and experienced engineer, Nyusi also said that engineers should not only be concerned with solving problems, but should also display teamwork through leadership and communication skills.
“Society is depositing great hopes in you because engineers must always be concerned with seeking out solutions for the problems which plague the country,” said Nyusi. He also said that engineers are called on to contribute solutions for the development of human capital that will increase productivity, raise the country’s competitiveness and create more jobs.
READ ALSO: How the global GE team came together for a uniquely African Innovation Centre
The GE Mozambique team had a stand at the fair, which is organised by the Student Representative Council of the engineering faculty of Eduardo Mondlane University and includes students from various Universities across the country. Employees participating in GE’s Graduate Engineering Training Programme (GETP) joined the team to talk to interested students about their GETP experience. GE supports Eduardo Mondlane university, with a $250 000 worth of bursaries to the Engineering faculty.
Nyusi delved into Mozambique’s history by reminding those at the fair that contributions by students to solving Mozambique’s problems began with its independence in 1976 when the country’s first president, Samora Machel, had called on students to temporarily leave their studies and to help stabilise the economy by taking up positions which were abandoned by Portuguese settlers leaving the country. Nyusi concluded by saying that more interaction between the government, universities, companies and industries is required to share knowledge and ensure that the engineering sector becomes more productive in meeting the demands of society.
According to Dovetail Business Development, which develops logistics software solutions in Africa, the state of logistics infrastructure around Africa is poor and is hindering growth and development particularly in Mozambique. One of the biggest infrastructure challenges in the country is that less than 30% of the road infrastructure from the capital, Malawi, to other main cities is in good condition and seasonal floods exacerbate the condition of the road network thereby increasing transport expenditure. Executives at Dovetail believe that tackling these infrastructure challenges could increase the country’s export and import potential.
*Engineering is the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building and use of engines, machines and structures. The disciplines of engineering are extremely broad and encompass specialised fields, which place a more specific emphasis on particular areas of science and technology. Essentially, everything that supports the way people live and work involves some level of engineering, and it is for this reason that major corporations such as GE as well as governments around the world are supporting engineering development programmes.