Engineers not guilty for poor road infrastructure – NSE

The Nigerian Society of Engineers has absolved its members of any fault for the deteriorating state of federal roads across the country.

It noted, however, that the organisation’s members have consistently recommended various solutions aimed at improving road connectivity to the government, but the proposed solutions have not been implemented.

The NSE President, Margaret Aina, stated these at a press briefing to inform the public about its forthcoming 2024 International Engineering Conference and Exhibition and annual general meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

She also blamed the terrible state of internal roads on poor maintenance culture.

“Without mixing words, the current situation of our roads is not due to the fault of engineers,” she noted.

The PUNCH reports that the dire situation of federal roads nationwide has been a recurring issue and cause of concern, despite the huge budgetary allocation allocated to improve the state of roads.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, however, has focused on constructing new legacy projects, neglecting internal roads that foster connectivity and easy access.

Oguntala, commenting on the ongoing legacy projects embarked upon by the President Bola Tinubu administration said the projects are applaudable but, “our internal roads are in terrible shape and need urgent attention.

She added, “The view of the NSE as a body of engineers is that there was a need to develop and improve internal roads in the country alongside the construction of the legacy Lagos-Calabar project. It is also an issue of priority of the government in power. But that notwithstanding, there is a need to take a second look at internal roads in the country. We are of the view that they are in bad shape and should be given quality attention.

“As a body, we have come up with what we call the infrastructure scorecard, which shows the infrastructure deficit. And our federal roads show that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to put our roads in shape.

“There’s a lot of deficit in terms of road connectivity, and all of that. So I’m sure that if the government would just look at that document.

“The last document when we went to Lagos in August, we submitted one to the governor of Lagos state, concerning Lagos state. And when we went to Asaba in Delta State, we also delivered the infrastructure scorecard for Delta State to the governor.

“So, it’s not the fault of Nigerian engineers. I think the government just needs to pay a lot more attention to infrastructure. The government needs to be more intentional in investing in infrastructure.

“Not just building infrastructure, but also maintaining maintenance of this infrastructure.”

The NSE’s first female president also highlighted that society has developed an infrastructure scorecard, which has been sent to several state governors for action.

She said, “Government needs to be more intentional in building infrastructure. It is not enough to build infrastructure, there should be scheduled maintenance of the same infrastructure.

“We have tried to, nationally and within the states, to look at the infrastructure and advise governments on where the funds should go into, and for budgetary reasons and also for developmental reasons,” she said.

Commenting on the incessant national grid collapse in the country, she said addressing the grid collapse was about investing in the power sector and also looking at renewable energy.

She also said the appointment of an engineer as the power minister will help the sector.

“There is a clear deficit in electricity that is available to the citizens. The demand is higher than the supply but with more deliberate investment and more attention being paid to the power sector, I am saying a lot more can be achieved. I think an Engineer as a minister of power could improve the situation because he will have more knowledge and expertise.”

She further advised the government to stop the import of tractors and food items, stressing that “Import should only be seen as a temporary solution to bridge a deficit and not the main solution. Local manufacturers should be helped to build capacity and not import tractors.”

On the forthcoming event, the President said the 2024 conference with the theme “Pioneering Engineering Solutions to Nigeria’s Climate and Food Security Challenges” will focus on “Sustainable Engineering Solutions to Food Security and Climate Change,” addressing issues central to the nation’s future.