The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) is set to build what it terms “Innovation Centre” where all classes of engineers in the country can develop their ideas.

The President of NSE, Tasiu Saad Gidari-Wudil, disclosed this in Calabar when NSE Calabar branch held a public lecture on “Innovation in Handling Municipal Wastes” chaired by Engr Godwin Akeke as part of their engineering week celebration.

Gidari-Wudil said the centre would further develop established engineers because the essence of the society was to continually embark on professional training.

He said NSE had already created a smart office for the development of prototypes in all fields of engineering, and had also trained trainers.

He commended the Calabar branch for completing a new secretariat soon after the #EndSARS protest of 2020 devastated the former one.

He said, “We’ll soon complete action on the Innovation Centre, billed to cost our society over N400m. It’s a centre that will serve as bank of ideas where all types of engineers, including the accomplished ones, can always come to fine tune and develop their ideas.

“Our engineering industry will collaborate with the academia so that the professional capacities can always be achieved.

“We’ll encourage members to go on sabbatical often where they can nurture ideas.”

He advocated the need for established engineers be allowed to return to the classroom of universities to impact practical experiences to potential engineers.

He emphasised that older and experienced engineers who were repositories of knowledge should mentor the upcoming ones.

Gidari-Wudil also charged engineers not to be selfish, encouraging them to give back to the larger society by volunteering to construct public-appeal facilities.

He said, “As a branch, we should identify certain community projects like bridges and construct them as a way of giving back to the public.”

Outgoing Chairman of the Calabar branch, Engr Ndifon Agbiji, said they had mentored many prospective engineers and supported some projects.