ENGR. (MRS.

) FUNMILADE AKINGBAGBOHUN
1
1 FNIMechE,MNSE

THE ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN

NATIONAL ECONOMY
DEVELOPMENT.
Engineering in Perspective

• The American Engineers' Council for Professional

Development defines Engineering as: "The creative
application of scientific principles to design or develop
structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing
processes, or works utilizing them singly or in
combination; or to construct or operate the same with
full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their
behavior under specific operating conditions; all as
respects an intended function, economics of operation
and safety to life and property.“
• One who practices engineering is called an engineer.
• Engineers borrow from physics and mathematics to
find suitable solutions to the problem at hand.
What do engineers do?

Engineers:
design
create.
explore.
innovate.
Engineers receive education and training in many
different fields.

They work in many different environments.

Engineers do things that make the world worthy of

living.
Major Roles of Engineers in the Society

• Technical
• Social
• Economic
 Engineering as a Bridge between
Science and the Society

Engineering bridges the gap

between Society and Scientific
Knowledge
What is Economic Development?

• Economics can be defined in many ways;

following are some of the definitions.
• Economics is the human Science which
studies the relationship between scarce
resources and their various uses which
compete for these resources.
• Economics is the study of how society decide
what to produce, how to produce and whom
to produce.
Economic Development

• The economic development process

supposes that the legal and institutional
adjustments are made to give incentives for
innovation and for investments so as to
develop an efficient production and
distribution for goods and services.
• Economic development is a sustainable
increase in living standards that implies
increased per capita income, better
education and health as well as
environmental protection.
Economic Activities
Economic Activities

PRIMARY SECTOR
• Simply speaking primary sector refers to that sector of the economy which uses
natural resource to produce goods.
• Natural factors play crucial role in the production process. Agriculture and allied
activities like mining, fishery, forestry, diary and poultry are included in this sector.
SECONDARY SECTOR
• Secondary sector is also called as manufacturing sector or industrial sector.
• The sector which transforms one physical good into another is called secondary
sector. The manufacturing, electricity, gas, water supply etc. are included in this
sector.
TERTIARY SECTOR:
The service sector of the economy is called tertiary sector. Services of various kinds like
education, health, banking, insurance, trade and transport are included in this sector. In
advanced countries, the contribution of tertiary sector to national income is the highest.
ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT

• Quality Education
• Clean and efficient energy
• Sophisticated infrastructure
• Improved social Amenities
• Increasing phase in GDP per capita
• Ability of self-production
• Good economic stability
 How can we get there?

Previous efforts have tried to use foreign aid, investment in

machines, fostering education at the primary and secondary
levels, controlling population growth, and giving loans and
debt relief conditional on reforms to stimulate the economic
growth that would allow these countries to move toward self
sufficiency

All of these efforts over the past few decades have failed to
lead to the desired economic growth
How can we get there?

Give a person a fish: you have fed him for today. Teach a person
to fish: you have fed him for a lifetime.”

And: teach him how to process and package fish for export, and
you have stimulated economic development.

This is the work of Engineers!!!!

Quote

• "Most of the major issues that face the

country and the world, such as climate
change, water availability and energy
security, need engineers to fix them,"
says Philip Greenish, chief executive
officer of the Royal Academy of
Engineering (RAEng),
Roles of Engineer in National Economy

• The engineering profession makes important

contributions to the economy, both from the
direct addition to economic output from the
work they do, and the contribution of the
sectors in which they work.
• One can also consider the long run return to
the economy of improvements in physical
infrastructure, in which engineers have
played a vital role, and the contributions
engineers make to the knowledge economy
and to sustainability.
 THE ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN NATIONAL
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

This has played a vital role in:

Education
Production
Construction
Information and Telecommunication
Foreign Exchange
Infrastructure
Clean, Sustainable Energy
Source: OECD, The Future of Productivity, forthcoming
 TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Quality Education with modern days technology:

Many developed countries balance and sustain
their economy with returns from their institutions
and colleges

Efficient Production :

Production of goods have been multiplied with

less human effort, low cost, and improved
qualities.

Source: OECD, The Future of Productivity, forthcoming

 TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Information Communication and

Technology:
The rapid growth in ICT and
Telecommunication has open doors of
opportunities, and in turn boost the
economy.
Infrastructure:
The huge investment in Engineering in Dubai
makes it a must go area for luxurious lovers.
Source: OECD, The Future of Productivity, forthcoming
 TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Development/ Construction:
The Engineers deal with the creation,
improvement, and protection of the environment,
providing facilities for living, industry and
transportation, including large buildings, roads,
bridges, canals, railroad lines, airports, water-
supply systems, dams, irrigation, harbours, docks,
aqueducts, tunnels, and other engineered
constructions within a given region which produces
high economic values

Source: OECD, The Future of Productivity, forthcoming

 TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Clean, Sustainable Energy:

Power plays a huge role in any other

developments that happen to a
country.

Stable and sustainable power; stable

and sustainable economy.

Source: OECD, The Future of Productivity, forthcoming

Robotics
 A lot more now and to come

• 3D printing
• Synthetic biology
• Brain enhancements
• Nanomaterial
• Etc.
How can we get there?

Involve engineers in decision making

Recommendations

•Engineers need to develop broad fundamental understanding of their

professional responsibilities in the society.
•Students in tertiary Institutions need to begin to see themselves more as
potential engineering ambassadors and prepare for the challenges of
participating in the Socioeconomic activities in the country
•Their activities on campus shouldn’t be inclined on activism but on
development and innovation. The era of activism to gain power is fading. We
are no longer in military era
•The era of engineers being limited to the workshops and on the field is
becoming outdated.
•The students have an opportunity to integrate their "professional code" into
their daily work as engineering students.
•Programmes that bring professionals into the academic folds are to be more
encouraged.
Recommendations

• Since it is difficult for every practicing

engineer to participate in the
development of national economy, it may
be better to localize this experience for
professional engineers. Every position you
find yourself in the community should be
used to showcase the dynamism of
engineering leadership in problem
solving.
Recommendations

• The most effective mechanism is the personal

involvement of each engineer in integrating the topics
of safety and the welfare of the public, professional
ethics, legal considerations, environmental
responsibilities, quality, and communications into the
methodologies which all engineers use to approach
and solve problems in the ordinary course of practice.
• This could be considered a natural extension of
"Concurrent Engineering" in which the elements of
design, manufacturing, and other issues are
considered concurrently in engineering methodology.
Engineering Economics

• Engineering economics, previously known as engineering

economy, is a subset of economics concerned with the
use and "...application of economic principles" in the
analysis of engineering decisions
• Get familiar with project management Costing,
Accounting and Learn all the rudiment of economic
development.
• You will need these knowledge as you advance in
leadership during your career.
Engineering Economics Contd.

• Engineers personal Development must include

leadership and preparation for participation in
National politics. This is where decision makers and
policy that affects National economy are made.
• The Era of Engineers sitting back as advisers and
consultants is fading Prepare for the Leadership of
your country
 THE ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN NATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT

Engineers and Politics:

Involvement of Engineers in politics afford them the opportunity to be at these
policy/decision making bodies. Engineers at these levels, use their professional
knowledge to attract and defend important engineering infrastructural
development projects. Similarly, Engineers in politics contribute to the
enhancement of the welfare of other Engineers thereby motivating them to higher
productivity for national economy development.

Engineering is the bedrock for development of any serious Nation.

China has 15 high policy makers, 9 are Engineers. You and I know the
level where China is today in terms of world power and National
Economy Development.

Source: OECD, The Future of Productivity, forthcoming

Presidential order 5- Engineers sneaked into the
Nigerian Economy

• The recent signing of presidential order 5

is a marked departure from old order and
it is not the destination we wish but a
signpost to the beginning. The roles
played by the engineers in the enactment
of the Presidential order 5 is so big that it
will take a separate programme to track
from the beginning. This is typical of how
engineers' works are often not noticed
but for the results.
Presidential order 5- Engineers sneaked into the
Nigerian Economy Contd.

• Engineers must lead this new industrial economic

revolution. There is some excellent leadership by
professional organizations such as the institute of
electrical and electronic engineers(IEEE), world
engineering partnership for sustainable development
(WEPSD), world federation of engineering organization
(WFED), Nigeria society of engineers (NSE), American
society of civil engineers (ASCE), and world business
council for sustainable development (WBCSD), among
others to make sustainable economic development
high priority in engineering and business both in
practice and in the education of future engineers.
Presidential order 5- Engineers sneaked into the
Nigerian Economy Contd.

• The engineers of the future must be much

more interdisciplinary – the lines between
the traditional engineering disciples must
be much more fluid. Engineers will have
to join forces with biologist, chemist,
meteorologist, economics, planners,
political scientists, ethicists, religionists
and community leaders in unprecedented
ways to lead the society on a sustainable
economic path.
Conclusion

• Every Section of Economic activity has the roles of

engineering and technology. Whether it is Raw material,
manufacturing or distribution.
• The Challenges facing country in Energy, Infrastructures and
environment are engineering challenges.
• Engineers must play a much stronger role in the public policy
process to provide the right incentives for industry and
others to move on sustainable path so that engineers can be
encouraged and supported to design sustainable technology
for the purpose of economic development that benefits
society in a holistic way now and in future
• Therefore the engineers of 21st century cannot afford to sit
back.
One final thought
No Engineers No Development
THANK YOU
References

• Antonelli C (2003) The economics of Innovation, New Technologies and Structural change, London ; RoutledgeInnovation Economics
• Steil B, Victor DG, Nelson RR (2002) Technological Innovation and Economic Performance, A council of Foreign Relations Book ; Princeton University Press.
• Farrel CJ (in press) Economics, R & D and growth.
• http://www.me.utexas.edu/~srdesign/paper/
• https://www.bis.org/review/r110617f.pdf
• THE ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT by Tochukwu Francis Okoye