By Abubakar Yunusa
The Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE), FCT-Nasarawa Chapter, Engr. Salisu Ahmed, has called on chemical engineers to shift their focus from job-seeking to job creation through entrepreneurship and innovation.
Ahmed made the call during the maiden Engr. Onochie Anyaoku Public Lecture held virtually with the theme “Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for Wealth Creation and Job Generation in the Chemical Engineering Profession.”
He said the time had come for chemical engineers to see their discipline not merely as an academic pursuit, but as a launchpad for innovation, enterprise, and problem-solving.
The event, organised in honour of Engr. Onochie Azubike Anyaoku, a Past President of the Society and Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, attracted professionals, entrepreneurs, and students from across the country.
It featured a panel session moderated by Dr. Mamoud Abubakar, CEO of EEMS Limited, with contributions from top industry figures, including Mrs. Nonye Ayeni of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Joseph Eneh, a business development consultant, and Mr. Abdullahi Suleiman Ezhin, Managing Director of Triple R Recycling Limited.
Ayeni, represented by Mrs. Leticia Onu, said NEPC was committed to empowering engineers through training, certification, and export financing. She urged them to explore non-oil export opportunities and add value to agricultural and solid mineral products.
Eneh advised young entrepreneurs to combine strategic planning with integrity and financial discipline, while Ezhin inspired participants with his “cash-for-waste” and “waste-for-books” recycling models, which convert environmental waste into economic value.
At the end of the session, participants resolved to form cooperative groups to access export financing, expand entrepreneurship training to universities, and establish a mentorship network led by senior professionals such as Engr. Anyaoku.
They also called for stronger collaboration between research institutions and industry players to transform laboratory research into commercial ventures, while NEPC reaffirmed its readiness to support engineers in developing export-ready products.
The lecture’s communiqué noted a steady decline in job openings in traditional sectors, urging chemical engineers to leverage their skills and innovation to build sustainable enterprises.
The NSChE FCT-Nasarawa Chapter pledged to institutionalise the lecture as an annual platform to promote innovation, industrial development, and youth empowerment in engineering.
Dr. Abubakar, in his closing remarks, said the series would “build on this momentum to help our profession shape Nigeria’s industrial future.”
Participants hailed Engr. Anyaoku as a beacon of integrity, innovation, and mentorship whose leadership continues to inspire generations of Nigerian engineers.
