282 Young Engineers Join Profession As DELSU Strengthens Engineering Education
DELTA State University (DELSU), Oleh Campus, has inducted 282 graduate engineers in its maiden oath-taking and induction ceremony for the 2024/2025 academic session.
The university organised the ceremony in collaboration with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). It took place at the Faculty of Engineering, Oleh Campus, in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Representing Vice-Chancellor Prof. Samuel Asagba, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Engr. Prof. Hilary Owamah, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to strengthening engineering education. He said the administration had prioritised the development of the faculty and would provide facilities and equipment to improve teaching, learning and practical training.
Similarly, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Oleh Campus, Engr. Prof. K.M. Oghenejoboh, urged the inductees to uphold the ethics and standards of the profession. He emphasised integrity, competence, honesty, discipline and accountability as essential qualities for every engineer.
Oghenejoboh also highlighted the opportunities available through Nigeria’s membership of the Washington Accord. He explained that graduates of accredited engineering programmes could benefit from international recognition of their qualifications in member countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.
He challenged the young engineers to apply their knowledge to national development, particularly in infrastructure, sustainable energy, transportation, manufacturing, digital transformation and environmental protection.
Meanwhile, COREN President, Engr. Prof. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar, represented by the Chairman of the Delta State Technical Committee on Engineering Regulations Monitoring, Engr. Solomon A. Aghagba, called on universities to maintain high academic standards and prepare graduates for global competition.
Aghagba, who is also Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Works, disclosed that about 123 Nigerian universities offer engineering education through more than 622 programmes. He added that the country’s available educational resources could support the production of at least 15,000 engineering graduates across different fields if properly harnessed.
He said COREN had developed a checklist based on international best practices to guide engineering education and ensure that students meet academic and professional requirements. Furthermore, he reaffirmed the council’s commitment to helping DELSU meet Washington Accord benchmarks through training, capacity development, accreditation and quality assurance.
Aghagba also stressed the need for stronger partnerships among universities, regulatory bodies and professional associations. According to him, such collaboration would bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry expectations.
In his remarks, Engr. Goodluck Ohwodo, representing NSE President Engr. Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, congratulated the 282 inductees. He urged them to complete their COREN registration, describing it as essential to their professional development and eventual practice as registered engineers.
Ohwodo further reminded the graduates to respect professional regulations and ethical standards. He encouraged them to serve as worthy ambassadors of engineering through diligence, integrity and professionalism.
Delivering the keynote lecture, titled “Ethical Issues and the Prospects of Young Engineers in an AI Generation,” Owamah warned against excessive dependence on artificial intelligence. Although AI could simplify tasks and provide useful information, he said it could not replace professional judgement, integrity and personal responsibility.
He also urged the graduates to use their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme to gain practical engineering experience. Rather than limit their service to classroom teaching, he encouraged them to seek assignments that would allow them to apply their technical knowledge.
Owamah concluded that the future of engineering would depend not only on technical expertise but also on the character, ethical values and practical competence of the next generation of professionals.
