General News
Panacea to Improved Engineering Services In Nigeria
The desire to formulate standard is an intent by a profession to work within a defined and agreed rules and guidelines for improved safety, product quality and service delivery.
Here in Nigeria, we believe we can thrive and profit more where there is no standard and this may not be far from the truth for those that undermines standards. Lack of standard undermines product and service quality and also clients’ safety and satisfaction.
There are several Institutions and bodies from different countries of the world bandying different standards.
However, in all there is a convergent point. The European community has been able to harmonize its standards in practically all fields of endeavor and USA will naturally key in while independently setting a parallel and higher standards for herself.
The most important and generally accepted electrical engineering standard is that of International Electro -Technical Commission, IEC.
Every country of the world is expected to domicile these standards. In doing so, the underline and basic element remains unchanged with only minor variation to meet the country’s environmental condition, cultural and social needs.
Countries subscribe to the Commission with offices of the president and secretary to administer the operations. In Nigeria, the National Electro-Technical Committee, NEC contact office is at Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON, Lagos. Their operation is ad hoc.
Apart from IEC, The International Bureau of Weights and Measures, BIPM is subscribed by nations of the world as well.
Nigeria lost it lower cadet membership due to her inability to sustain her commitment. Member countries are expected to establish the National Metrology Institute in their countries.
NMI in every country handles basic elements of Time and Frequency, Mass, Electricity, Chemistry, Thermometry, Ionizing Radiation, Length and Photometry and Radiometry which are referenced to BIPM in France.
The establishment of the lab is under construction at Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos. The project is counter funded by UNIDO.
It was abandoned for many years but work has resumed and is in progress. The ground breaking ceremony was done recently by Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, secretary to the Federal Government.
SON currently uses a mini or makeshift Metrology Lab pending when the one at Ikeja is commissioned.
The lab will aid in instrument certifications mismanaged by local firms and also save billions of naira in such services rendered by overseas companies. This will greatly enhance service delivery in the country.
However, standard formulation is not the responsibility of SON; they only coordinate or facilitate such process for stakeholders because stakeholders have failed to take up this responsibility in fashioning out standards.
Persons who are concerned about safety, quality of product and services in a particular field and have found the need to address and uphold it are usually the initiators.
They will craft the draft and send it to SON. SON will forward it to all stakeholders for input. The document is worked on till final document agreeable to all is produced and adopted. The document is reviewed from time to time. SON is doing good job filling this gap for all.
The challenges of formulating standards are enormous leaving us as a profession without engineering standards.
Standards formulation requires concerted efforts from stakeholders. The following amount to some of the reasons why standard formulation is a challenge;
Attitudinal: Anything that will regulate our life, change our thinking and the way we do things are usually resisted whether it is for good or bad.
Standard is resisted by politicians, engineering personnel, quacks and everyone benefitting from the status quo.
Documentation: Formulation of standard is a product of research and documented experience. Because field experiences are not documented, experts most time do not logically buttress their positions and draw conclusion on issue of standard.
It is always, even more so, difficult to identify these experts who may sometime not affiliate with professional bodies. They carve a niche for themselves and do their works unnoticed thus, ending up with the years of undocumented industrial experience. When issues on standard are discussed, they seem to be left out for comments and inputs. Documented field experience is the basis for standard formulation.
Academic: There is usually an erroneous belief that the university professor is best suited to develop standard. The truth is the end user; the craftsman, technician, technologist and allied professionals make more inputs than any other. When they are not trained to document their job process the result remain what we have now.
However, we cannot ignore the work of subjecting these field experiences to scientific analysis to produce result which can stand up to close inspection as done by the academic. The academic must also have a tinge of field experience to enhance his work. There must be empirical evidence to support his results. This is grossly lacking.
Funding: Research requires funding but many in this part of world believe it should be sacrificial and selfless. Funding can come from government, corporate organizations, NGOs, Institution itself etc. It is very important to note that every Institution or professional body is supposed to be self- sustaining. Professional bodies build capacity through due, levy and donation.
When we join foreign professional bodies (there is nothing wrong about that if we are equally committed to the local body here) we fund their research with our annual dues, levies and donations. They develop and continue to improve those standards we have to subscribe to. IEC has over 2000 electrical standards which are not cheap to subscribe.
If we have to domicile just 10 of such standards the cost could be enormous for an Institution that has no sustainable income to bear. The cost of working the document by all stakeholders to become an acceptable standard to domicile will have to be included to determine the total and real cost for such an exercise.
Indigenous Technology: We must develop our technology, apply the standards so formulated to it and gradually enlarge and expand it. When we import engineering equipment from different countries, they come with different technical standards of country of origin.
This has made Nigeria a pool of technical standards without any standard. Engineering practice in Nigeria is in disarray, completely comatose by lack of standards and the many Original Equipment Manufacturers, OEM, from Asia, Europe and America will continue to dump their products here with their standards.
Since standard is a global issue we can align ourselves to IEC’s standard to produce our standard and that is expected of every nation like us.
Intellectual laxity: There seem to be intellectual laxity and lack of focus concerning this issue. Companies where draft copy of the documents are forwarded to as stakeholders for comment and input, sometimes keep it for use and make no input.
You can rightly say they have nothing to contribute because there is no documented experience or better still are not interested about developing another standard that will not be in tangent to their products standards.
Haven highlighted this, wide spread and coordinated approach is needed to address this problem. While the Nigerian Society of Engineers through its Codes and Standards Committee is playing its part, the Divisions or Institutions under it have greater roles to play.
Standards formulations require the involvement of all cadets of engineering personnel and the present engineering structures or Institutions should evolve with capacity to accommodate all so as to enable professionals at all level to be identified to address the problem of engineering standards in the country.
Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN whose responsibilities include regulating, monitoring and control of engineering practice will have to continue to wait till these standards are ready for it to function effectively.
Engineer Akan Michael is the chairman, Nigerian Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (NIEEE) Lagos Chapter. He can be reached via [email protected]
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the House of Representatives Spouses Association (HORSA), organized a specialized two‑day digital literacy and capacity‑building workshop for the spouses of members of the House of Representatives.
The initiative, themed “Empowering Women for a Digital Future: Leadership, Wellbeing, and Opportunity,” is designed to equip spouses of lawmakers with the tools needed to navigate the modern digital economy and the unique demands of public life.
Moving beyond basic computer literacy, the workshop offers a comprehensive suite of skills, including financial and digital literacy—focused on using digital tools for business growth and personal finance management; cybersecurity and digital wellbeing—promoting online safety, data protection, and mental health resilience; and economic empowerment—unlocking opportunities in remote work, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and digital entrepreneurship.
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, PhD, the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, said the workshop underscores the crucial role spouses play in supporting public office holders. He described spouses as trusted advisers whose understanding of legislative responsibilities helps lawmakers perform more effectively.
He noted that the demanding nature of legislative work often places strain on family life, adding that empowering spouses with digital and leadership skills would strengthen their capacity to provide informed support and constructive feedback to their partners in public service. He urged participants to take full advantage of the training, stressing that continuous learning is essential in an increasingly digital world.
Kalu further observed that many spouses already lead humanitarian and development initiatives in their communities, and that the skills gained from the programme would enhance communication, strategic planning, and resource mobilisation, thereby deepening their contribution to community development and national growth.
In his welcome address, the NITDA Director‑General, Kashifu Inuwa, said the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s drive to build a sustainable digital economy by ensuring that no group is excluded from digital opportunities due to skills gaps. He noted that the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu places digitalisation and innovation at the heart of economic diversification and inclusive growth.
He added that NITDA is implementing a national digital literacy framework aimed at achieving 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, driven through three key focus areas: integrating digital skills into formal education, upskilling public servants, and expanding community‑level digital inclusion.
Inuwa described women as critical drivers of Nigeria’s digital transformation, noting that empowering spouses of lawmakers with digital skills would strengthen leadership at home and positively influence legislative processes at the National Assembly. He explained that NITDA is working with the Ministry of Education and global technology partners to train teachers nationwide, while over 54,000 public servants are currently enrolled in the Agency’s digital literacy programmes.
He also stated that through community champions deployed across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, millions of Nigerians are being reached annually with basic digital skills training, stressing that national leaders must not be left behind in Nigeria’s digital transition. According to him, digitally literate spouses can play a vital role in encouraging technology‑driven governance, including ongoing efforts to digitise legislative processes.
In her goodwill message, the Leader of HORSA and wife of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hajiya Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, described the workshop as a historic milestone and the first comprehensive capacity‑building programme organised by the 10th Assembly for spouses of lawmakers. She noted that public life in a digital age now extends beyond physical spaces into online platforms, making digital and financial literacy, cyber protection, and digital wellbeing essential skills for spouses of national leaders.
Hajiya Abbas emphasised that the sessions on mental health, emotional resilience, entrepreneurship, and leadership were timely, as spouses of public office holders often shoulder invisible emotional responsibilities. According to her, empowering women economically strengthens families and communities, adding that the knowledge gained from the workshop would not only support lawmakers behind the scenes but also enable women to contribute more meaningfully to national development in the digital economy.
The event also featured goodwill messages and contributions from senior government officials, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim; the Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum, Prof. (Mrs.) Olufolake Abdulrazaq; the Chairman of the House Committee on ICT, Hon. Stanley Olajide; the Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara; and the Managing Director of the South-South Development Commission, Usoro Offiong Akpabio.
PalmPay is thrilled to announce the first set of winners of its highly anticipated Valentine-themed #LoveWithPalmPay campaign, following a week of receiving entries from users across the country, celebrating their real love stories shaped by simple money moments.
The #LoveWithPalmPay, a two-week campaign which started on the 9th of February until the 21st of February, has unveiled the first set of four (4) couples who shared their heartfelt stories of how PalmPay has positively impacted their relationships, from seamless transfers and bill payments to shared savings goals, dates, and everyday financial support.
The first batch of selected winners are:
- Abdulsalam Aishat Omowumi ( Facebook)
- Symply Omotoshan (Instagram)
- Unusual_aaron (Tiktok)
- MTN_DATA_VENDOR (X)
Speaking on the campaign, Olorunfemi Hanson, the Head of Marketing of PalmPay, stated, “We are using the campaign to appreciate our over 35 million users and the many ways they use the PalmPay app to make life seamless. The four (4) couples, each rewarded with ₦100,000, were chosen based on how effectively they highlighted PalmPay’s features and demonstrated how the platform helped their everyday payments be reliable and seamless.
PalmPay noted that with the campaign still ongoing, four (4) more couples will be announced in the coming days, encouraging more users to continue sharing their love stories using the hashtag #LoveWithPalmPay on PalmPay’s social media platforms.
The campaign reinforces PalmPay’s commitment to creating financial solutions that not only simplify transactions but also bring people closer through meaningful, everyday money moments.
PalmPay is a leading digital banking platform driving financial inclusion and economic empowerment in underserved emerging markets. Through its secure, user-friendly, and inclusive suite of financial services, PalmPay empowers individuals and businesses with tools to manage and grow their money.
PalmPay offers a comprehensive range of products, including mobile payments, savings, and micro-insurance via its app and mobile money agent network.
Zoho Corporation, a global technology company, today marked its 30th anniversary with the announcement of two major company milestones.
Zoho
Zoho Corporation, consisting of consisting of Zoho (cloud business solutions), ManageEngine (IT management), Qntrl (business process management) and TrainerCentral (e-learning platform), is now a trusted technology provider to one million paying customers and more than 150 million users globally.
Today’s announcement follows significant year-on-year customer (32%) and revenue (20%) growth in 2025.
Recent customers to Zoho Corporation include: in the United States, Rapid Response Monitoring and Synergy Home Care; in India, Mercedes-Benz India, Force Motors, Joyalukkas and Union Bank of India; in the UK/European Union, Flora Food Group, Handl Tyrol and Atout France; in Middle East-Africa, Al-Ahli Saudi FC and Al Qadsiah FC; in LATAM, Gonher Batteries, and in Brazil, Creditas and Editora Globo.
“Being bootstrapped, private, and built entirely in-house makes Zoho an outlier among competitors,” said Sridhar Vembu, Co-founder and Chief Scientist, Zoho Corporation.
“But vendors don’t need our help, businesses do, which is why delivering customer value has, for 30 years, been Zoho Corporation’s North Star.
“Before any innovation, strategy, or guiding principle becomes a product, pivot, or policy, it must first affirm the question, ‘Will this help businesses?’ We are incredibly grateful that companies around the world have responded so positively to our customer-first approach over the past three decades, and will continue to meet the evolving needs of businesses with powerful, scalable, and affordable solutions.”
Commitment to Africa
Zoho Corporation has steadily expanded its presence across Africa, supporting organisations of all sizes as digital transformation accelerates across the continent.
“Africa represents one of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial business environments in the world,” said Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria.
“Over the years, we have seen growing demand from African businesses seeking technology that is flexible, affordable and built for long-term value rather than short-term gain.
“Our continued investment reflects our belief in Africa’s innovation potential and our commitment to supporting local businesses with tools that help them scale sustainably.”
Zoho’s long-term approach aligns closely with the needs of African organisations, providing a unified technology platform without the cost and complexity often associated with enterprise software.
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