Engineering education and self dependence: A Nigerian experience

The emphasis on producing graduates with entrepreneurship abilities have heightened in recent times in Nigeria due to the persistent decline in public and private job opportunities. This has mounted unprecedented pressure on the engineers who were previously thought to be drivers of job creation and technological transformation. Rather than confronting the unhealthy job scarcity appreciably, engineering graduates have surprisingly ranked high in the profile of job seekers, to the extent of scampering for lean banking and allied jobs, sales and security agents etc. An attempt is made in this paper to review engineering education with a view to ascertain the root cause of graduating massive job seeking engineers from Nigerian institutions, short of job creators or entrepreneurs, at least. The making of a Nigerian engineer is presented in terms of education and training, including the qualification for admission and the eventual admission criteria set by government and institutions. The effects of the prevailing factors surrounding engineering education are delineated with specific merits and shortfalls. Opportunities for improvement and areas needing reforms were suggested. The policy results of the research, if properly implemented, can reposition engineering graduates and engineering educators for accelerated job creation in the country as well as embolden the self-dependence prospects of engineers.