Funmi Ogundare
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has expressed concerns over the electronic transmission of election results in Nigeria, saying the process must be transparent and professionally managed to strengthen public confidence in the country’s electoral system.
The president of the society, Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, who made this known recently, while presenting the state of the society report during a virtual interactive session, disclosed that the NSE had issued a statement on February 7, 2026, following the resolution of the National Assembly on electronic transmission of election results.
He emphasised the grey areas in the decision, saying that the statement generated widespread public discourse and contributed to the reconsideration and eventual reversal of the earlier position of the National Assembly.
He stated: “NSE has continued to advocate good governance and policies that support sustainable development, infrastructure growth and national wellbeing.”
Rabiu also revealed that the NSE wrote an open letter to President Bola Tinubu following the inauguration of the Grid Asset Management Company of Nigeria (GAMCO), urging the Federal Government to appoint a seasoned Nigerian power engineer to lead the organisation.
He noted that the society reaffirmed its readiness to support government through technical expertise, engineering studies, project evaluation and professional oversight.
The NSE president further disclosed that it constituted a budget appraisal and monitoring committee to analyse the 2026 national budget and make recommendations to key government officials, including the chief of staff to the president, secretary to the government of the federation, minister of finance, minister of budget and national planning, Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
According to him, “The recommendations were acknowledged with appreciation.”
Rabiu also announced that the Federal Government recently appointed him chairman of a high-level special intervention committee overseeing multi-billion-naira projects aimed at revitalising engineering and technology faculties in federal universities.
He described the appointment as a recognition of the NSE’s credibility and strategic relevance in national development.
On the growth of the society, Rabiu said the NSE council approved the establishment of the Oredo Branch as the 94th branch of the society during its 466th session held on March 12, 2026.
He added that branches and divisions of the society had continued to undertake community engineering projects and professional capacity development programmes.
Speaking on international engagements, the NSE president said the society actively participated in the 2026 World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development and also attended engineering conferences organised by the Engineering Society of Liberia and the Ghana Institution of Engineering.
He added that the NSE recently became a founding partner of the newly launched Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO) Academy, a continental digital platform for professional development and collaboration among African engineers.
Rabiu further disclosed that the society had commenced a comprehensive review of the admission process into its fellowship cadre to restore the prestige of the category, noting that the fellowship portal had been temporarily closed to new applications pending the conclusion of the review.
On infrastructure and assets, he said the society recently secured the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for its Bwari mass housing land in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while redevelopment work had commenced on its Gwarinpa property through a joint venture arrangement.
He also stated that the Lagos National Engineering Centre (LNEC) was undergoing phased renovation to meet ISO-certified standards.
Rabiu called on engineers across the country to actively participate in politics ahead of the 2027 general election, stressing that the society would support engineers aspiring for elective offices.
The NSE president emphasised the ongoing digital transformation initiatives within the secretariat, including the deployment of an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), development of a world-class e-library and reactivation of the 3CX communication system.
