The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has pledged continued collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE) following the inauguration of its 22nd President, Felix Adegboye, in Lagos.
Director-General of the commission, Mustapha Abdullahi, described the investiture as a landmark event and commended the outgoing leadership.
He reaffirmed the strategic role engineers play in national development, particularly within Nigeria’s power sector.
Also speaking, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, represented by Mr Vonkur Nankpak, reiterated the party’s support for engineering innovation and infrastructure development.
Chairman of the occasion, Tomi Araromi, founder of iRecharge Tech Innovations, stressed that Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions depend heavily on reliable electricity and resilient infrastructure.
“The digital economy cannot thrive on blackouts,” Araromi said, noting that data centres and emerging technologies require stable and renewable energy systems.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Oluremi Okunade, Managing Director of Xerox Nigeria Ltd., highlighted skills shortages in cybersecurity, data science and embedded systems engineering across West Africa.
He warned that rising cybercrime, digital fraud and talent migration were weakening the region’s digital ecosystem.
“Building a resilient digital economy requires secure systems and strong institutions,” Okunade said.
He urged stronger collaboration among engineers, policymakers and innovators to address connectivity gaps, cybersecurity risks and infrastructure challenges.
