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Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has tasked Nigerian engineers on re-skilling by leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in order to remain relevant as the fourth industrial revolution gains grounds.
Emerging technologies are increasingly becoming the cornerstone of the new world order as they alter how things are done across sectors including changing the designing, planning and executing of engineering projects.
Abdullahi while delivering a goodwill message at the National Engineering Conference and Annual General Meeting in Abuja, this week, said the fact that engineers powered previous industrial revolutions makes the 2020 conference and its theme even more exigent as the professionals grapple with the dynamics of the fourth industrial revolution.
Organised by Nigerian Society of Engineers, (NSE), this year’s conference focused on: “Engineering Education and Lifelong Learning Opportunities for Sustainable Development”
“Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics are changing the way we design, plan and execute engineering projects,” said the NITDA’s boss.
He added: “At NITDA, having this knowledge in mind, the agency is preparing Nigeria to be digital technology inclined, and just last week, the Honourable Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami commissioned first National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Nigeria, which was built by NITDA.
“This is the right time for you to learn how these new technologies are going to help you excel and thrive in this world we are creating, a digital world.”
He argued that while Africa lost out in the first, second and third industrial revolutions, it has every opportunity to become a major actor and not just a consumer in the fourth industrial revolution which is going to be powered by AI, Augmentive Reality and other emerging technologies.
“Engineering is development, development is engineering and engineering is life,” said president of NSE, Mohammed Babagana. He stressed the importance of engineering in the development of any nation and expressed the willingness of the professionals to work closely with government as development partners.
