The National Engineering Centre Abuja of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) played host to dignitaries in the engineering profession on Thursday when the Maitama Branch of the foremost professional body organised the 7th Distinguished Annual Lecture in honour of His Royalty, Otis Anyaeji.
The annual lecture with the theme, “Engineering Infrastructure: The Backbone for Technological Development in Nigeria”, sought to appraise the effect of government’s policies and administrative styles on the dignity of engineers and engineering practices in Nigeria.
Welcoming the dignitaries who included Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior and keynote speaker, Edward Chukukere, the guest speaker, and the honouree who is among the founding fellows, College of Fellows of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, His Royalty, Otis Anyaeji, the Obi Onowu II of Okija and Past President, NSE, Maitama Branch Chairman, Oladipupo Mabogaje expressed his profound gratitude to all the guests especially the honouree.
“I am most grateful to God for guiding and preserving everyone of us in the course of the year especially because of COVID 19 pandemic and security challenges facing the country. Today, we are gathered here because of HR Otis Distinguished Annual Lecture being organised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Maitama Branch.
“The Annual Lecture seeks to know how the dignity of engineering professionals and practices has either been positively or negatively affected through government’s policies, administrative styles, politics and inactions. The distinguished lecture is to honour a man who has paid his dues to the engineering profession while at the same time using the occasion to sort out pressing national issues”, Mabogaje said.
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Born in Onitsha in 1951, His Royalty, Otis Anyaeji attended Government College Umuahia Abia State for his secondary school education. He attended the University of Glasgow in Scotland for his first-degree certificate. This was followed with a master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of Toronto, Canada. He is a founding fellow, College of Fellows, Nigerian Society of Engineers, and also the President, West African Federation of Engineering Organisations.
At different times, he worked as a lecturer, grade one, and was also metallurgy and mechanical engineering; consultant to the Federal Ministry of Industries, Mines and Power. In addition, he was once the General CEO, Nigersteel Company Limited.
HR Otis Anyaeji retired in 1996 after serving as the minister of power from 1994 to 1996.
HR Anyaeji’s list of awards is impressive. These include Author of Government College Anthem which he wrote in class three in 1949; Editor, Government College Umuahia Magazine; and he also has the honour of being the first B.Sc graduate in metallurgy and materials engineering in black Africa.
In his presentation, the guest lecturer, Edward Chukukere emphasize the need to promote policies that would engender endogenous and indigenous technological and infrastructural development in Nigeria.
“Endogenous and indigenous technological and infrastructural development are imperative for any country. These can never be achieved without the special class of metals called “ Iron and Steel”. Everything manufactured by modern man is made of iron and steel or machinery and equipment are made from same metals. This indicates that the establishment of integrated iron and steel of Ajaokuta super technology, a sine qua non for the production of the two metals in the liquid state from iron ore. The denouncement of this truism is seen in a small country like North Korea which has six Ajaokuta type steel plants.
“Within fifty years of independence, North Korea developed and successfully tested its intercontinental ballistic missiles sending shockwaves through the developed world. Nigeria has her independence for over 60 years and cannot produce one ton of liquid iron from the ore, is clearly seen to belong to the bronze age of artisanal industry”, Chukukere said.
