NSE Agrees to Join IFES for the Belt, Road Initiative

Funmi Ogundare 

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has secured an agreement to join the International Federation of Engineering Societies for the Belt and Road (IFES) as a member organisation.

 Vice President Corporate Services, Dr. Felicia Agubata,  explained that the landmark decision,  reached during the 2024 International Engineering Congress in Taizhou, China, was formalised at a sideline meeting where the President of NSE,  Margaret Aina Oguntala, was represented by the Vice President,  Ademola Agoro.

 The IFES initiative, supported by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), Tianjin University, the Institution of Engineers Malaysia, the Association of Consulting Engineers in Serbia, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, and Colegio de Ingenieros Peru, she noted, aims to foster international collaboration and development within the engineering profession.

“The 2024 International Engineering Congress has established a platform for global partnerships and advanced dialogue, providing engineers with a framework to address the evolving challenges and opportunities in engineering education, certification and career advancement on a global scale,” Agubata stated, adding that Olumayowa Idowu,  Chairman of the Abeokuta Branch of NSE, participated in a high-level dialogue on engineering career development alongside 14 other engineering leaders from diverse countries. 

“The discussion focused on key topics such as capacity building, setting international standards for engineering certification to enhance global recognition and integrating AI competencies into professional engineering assessments.”

The congress, the vice president noted, began with an impactful opening ceremony featuring addresses by international engineering and UNESCO leaders, along with Ke Jixin, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, who welcomed engineering representatives from around the world. 

Highlight at the ceremony was the signing of four significant Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with international organisations, including the A3P Accord, which covers Africa, the Americas, Asia and  Pacific.