The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Professor Babatunde Kehinde, has urged newly inducted engineers to apply innovation, professional competence and ethical standards in addressing Nigeria’s development challenges.
Professor Kehinde gave the charge on October 7th, 2026, during the 12th Induction Ceremony of the university’s College of Engineering (COLENG), held at the Professor Oluwafemi Balogun Ceremonial Building. The event featured the induction of 2025/2026 graduating engineering students into the Graduate Membership of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).
Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Professor Olusegun Idowu, the Vice-Chancellor described the ceremony as a transition from academic training to a profession with significant responsibilities for national development.
He emphasised that graduation marked the beginning of lifelong learning, professional growth, innovation and service, urging the inductees to remain committed to improving their knowledge and skills.
Professor Kehinde noted that engineering was essential to the development of transportation, construction, energy, water supply, manufacturing, agriculture and digital infrastructure. He stressed that Nigeria needed engineers capable of translating knowledge into practical solutions, particularly in food security, agricultural transformation, environmental sustainability, climate change and rural development.
He urged the new engineers to contribute to national transformation by developing appropriate technologies, improving agricultural productivity, supporting industrialisation and designing affordable and sustainable infrastructure suited to Nigeria’s needs.
The Vice-Chancellor also challenged the inductees to identify problems they could solve and consider how their expertise could improve lives and contribute to national progress. He warned against compromising quality, safety and professional standards for personal gain, urging them to uphold integrity, accountability and professionalism.
In his welcome address, the Dean of the College of Engineering, Professor Adedayo Badejo, described the ceremony as a significant milestone marking the completion of years of rigorous academic training and discipline.
He congratulated the inductees and encouraged them to apply their knowledge to emerging challenges, particularly climate change and digital transformation, while upholding the values associated with their alma mater.
Similarly, the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engineer Ali Rabiu, represented by the Chairman of the NSE Abeokuta Branch, Engineer (Dr.) Adekunle Musa, congratulated the university, graduates, staff, parents and guardians on the achievement.
He stressed the importance of continuous learning in a rapidly evolving technological environment and urged the new engineers to acquire skills in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, automation, renewable energy, digital technology and advanced manufacturing.
Delivering the keynote lecture, the South-West Regional Manager of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Engineer Michael Oye, represented by the bank’s State Manager, Engineer Michael Ajidani, challenged the inductees to bridge the gap between Nigeria’s abundant natural resources and their productive utilisation.
He encouraged them to embrace innovation, appropriate technology and collaboration to transform natural resources into useful products, convert waste into wealth and add value to agricultural produce.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Platform Capital, Lagos, Engineer (Dr.) Akintoye Akindele, urged the graduates to remain curious, learn from mistakes, embrace multidisciplinary thinking and persist in developing solutions to societal challenges.
He emphasised the need for engineers to question conventional practices and seek better, safer and more efficient ways of solving problems.
As part of his support for young engineering talents, Engineer Akindele awarded ₦1.5 million each to the best male and female graduating students. The recipients were Mr. Yahyah Mubarak of Agricultural and Bio-Resources Engineering and Miss Kelechi Chibundu of Mechatronics Engineering.
He also offered both graduates employment opportunities at Nexus Energy Limited and pledged to facilitate Dubai visits for selected outstanding students in December to explore solar energy opportunities at FUNAAB. In addition, he promised 10 internship scholarships for deserving engineering students.
The ceremony concluded with the administration of the oath of membership and the presentation of awards and prizes to outstanding graduates across the college’s departments, marking their transition into professional engineering practice and reaffirming FUNAAB’s commitment to producing skilled engineers capable of advancing Nigeria’s technological and economic development.
