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Buhari’s CoS, Babalakin, Overland CEO, others attend 1st Engr. Yusuf Lanre Sagaya annual lecture in Ilorin

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(L-R) Balogun Alanamu of Ilorin, Dr. Usman Abubakar Jos, NSE Chairman Ilorin branch, Engr. Taiwo Issa Olashehu FNSE, National President of NSE, Engr. Tasiu Sa’Ad Gidari-Wudil FNSE,  the Honouree & Zanna of Ilorin, Engr. Yusuf Lanre Sagaya OFR , FNSE, Wife of the Honouree, Hajia Farida Sagaya, Chairman of Bi-Courtney Group of Company, Dr. Wale Babalakin OFR, SAN at the 1st Engr. Yusuf Lanre Sagaya annual lecture held in Ilorin on Thursday. PHOTO CREDIT: Royal News Online

………Govt should allocate more funds to projects—- Ex- ACEN President

Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday underscored the importance of practitioners of engineering profession of identifying the importance of building and designing infrastructure that can match the growth and expansion of the nation.

He added that not only that,“They are also responsible for the maintenance of such Infrastructure throughout their life cycle” adding that “YOLAS Consultants is a foremost indigenous Engineering Consulting Firm that has not only partaken in Projects across the country with outstanding records of mentoring others in the profession.”

Gambari stated this at the 1st Engr. Yusuf Lanre Sagaya distinguished annual lecture entitled: Engineering Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Prospect & Challenges held at the Government House Banquet Hall in Ilorin, Kwara state.

Chairman of Overland Air, Capt. Edward Boyo and Prince Adelegan Adedapo

Represented by the former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, (FUT) Minna, Prof. Engr. Suleyman Adeyemi, the Chief of Staff stressed that the essential roles of engineering practitioners involves great cost to every nation, “especially in the face of competing needs, particularly in Nigeria where such needs include provision of social services like education, health, improved nutrition and what others have described as more importantly, security.”

While eulogizing the virtues of the honouree, Gambari disclosed that, “I have had longstanding relationship with the man, whose name have been given to commemorate what we believe is the first of many of this lecture series. Engr. Sagaya and I met in 1959 at what was then known as Ilorin Provincial Secondary School.

“I was then in Form 3, while he was in Form 1. Our relationship from then on, grew deeper and closer such that when we both found ourselves studying abroad, he in Canada and I,in the United States, we remained in close touch and visited each other.

“It was clear from the moment we met that he was a focused and extremely brilliant student and a consummate bridge builder, who took great joy in caring for others. It therefore came as no surprise to me that he returned home shortly after he completed his academic journey abroad.”

In his Keynote address, the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Group of Company, Dr. Wale Babalakin SAN described Engr. Sagaya as‘Phenomenonal’ adding that “We invited him as a Project Leader in the designing of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. He put together a consortium of the best consultants in the world in order to give our country the best.”

The Chairman of Bi-Courtney Group of Company, Dr. Wale Babalakin OFR, SAN while delivering his keynote address at the event.

He therefore admonished Nigerians especially engineers to take advantage of the intelligence and modesty of Engr. Sagaya for his selfless contributions to the development of engineering profession in Nigeria.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, Kwara State branch, Engr. Taiwo Issa Olashehu, extolled the virtues of Engr. Sagaya for his outstanding and unbeatable contributions to the growth and development of the engineering profession.

He emphasized that Sagaya is the father of the NSE Ilorin branch stressing that, “The honouree has been a worthwhile, motivating and an evergreen member and supporter of this branch with all his wealth of experience and enthusiasm, encouraging attributes and humble goodwill.

“Engr. Sagaya was always accessible to all segments of the branch, the elderly contemporary and the youths, including the NSE nationally. He had been and still making worthy contributions to sustain the society. We have been never been disappointed any time we called on him for any of our programmes.”

Speaking further, Olashehu confirmed “Engr. Sagaya’s large scale opportunity to practice Engineering Infrastructure development in Nigeria and overseas design, procurement, installation and supervision and management according to World Bank, African Development Bank, Nigerian Procurement procedures and standards, especially covering all the civil engineering sub-disciplines of Structural, Transportation and Highways, Water Resources, Geo-technical and Marine Engineering.”

In his lecture, a former President of Association of Consulting Engineers of Nigeria, (ACEN) advised the federal government to scale down the expenditures in governance to about 40percent in order to focus more on infrastructural development adding, “Lack of commitment, finance and technology has hindered the growth the nation.At the moment, what we have now is that about 80percent of the nation’s resources is being allocated to governance while just little or no attention is given to infrastructural development.

Former President of Association of Consulting Engineers of Nigeria, (ACEN) Engr. K.A. Adeola FNSE while delivering his lecture at the event

He said indigenization of technology will assist in overcoming the gaps in the society stressing that there is urgent need to train younger generations for the good of the society and humanity in general.

“Allocate more money into capital expenditure. It is worrisome that Engineering is not at the centre or heart of governance in Nigeria. Until we Nigeria creates things, we will continue to measure and infrastructure will continue to diminish.”

In his remarks, the honouree who is also the Zanna of Ilorin, Engr. Yusuf Lanre Sagaya OFR, thanked the NSE  Ilorin branch for instituting an annual lecture in his honour as well as the national body for the approval of the project, “Today is one of the wonderful moment that I have had in my professional career.”

He thanked guests for honouring him with their presence and commended the Chairman of Overland Air, Capt. Edward Boyo, for the sacrifice despite his very tight travel schedules and for being the first Airline to operate in Ilorin, Kwara State.

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