THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS, IKEJA BRANCH

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS PANACEA TO NIGERIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Engr. Ayo Fanimokun, FNSE, FNIMechE

National Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

DEFINITION
Entrepreneurship involves the nexus of two phenomena: Presence of lucrative opportunities and presence of enterprising individual. It can be defined as an activity that involves the discovery, evaluation, and exploitation of opportunities to introduce new goods and services; ways of organising, market, process and raw materials through organising efforts that previously not existed. (A. A. Refaat, 2009)

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

The Entrepreneur is the Originator or Creator of a profit seeking organ of the Society or Economic Organization established for the purpose of providing goods and services for the consumption of the Society, in which such organization is located. The Entrepreneur is often referred to as the agent of Economic, Technological and Social systems

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERING

The term Engineering derives from the word Engineer used in the 1300s for a person who operated a military engine or machine such as a catapult or, later, a cannon. The word Engine in turn derives from the Latin ingenium for ingenuity or cleverness and invention.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERING

Engineering is the field or discipline, practice, profession and art that relates to the development, acquisition and application of Technical, Scientific and Mathematical knowledge about the understanding, design, development, invention, innovation and use of materials, machines, structures, systems and processes for specific purposes. (Tony Marjoram and Yixin Zhong, )

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

THE ENGINEERS.
People who are qualified in or practice Engineering are described as Engineers. The Engineering Profession, as with other Professions, is a vocation or occupation based upon specialized education and training, as providers of Professional advice and services. Other features that define occupations as Professions are the establishment of training and Universities, Schools and Departments, National and International Organizations, Accreditation and Licensing, Ethics and Codes of Professional practice.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

WHAT ENGINEERS CAN DO OR ARE DOING?

The Engineer track is typically aimed at those who will: use a combination of general and specialist Engineering knowledge and understanding to optimize the application of existing and emerging Technology; apply appropriate theoretical and practical methods to the analysis and solution of Engineering problems;

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

WHAT ENGINEERS CAN DO OR ARE DOING?

The Engineer track is typically aimed at those who will: provide Technical, Commercial and Managerial leadership; undertake the management of high levels of risk associated with Engineering processes, Systems, Equipment, and Infrastructure; and perform activities that are essentially intellectual in nature,

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

DEFINITION OF ECONOMICS

Scottish philosopher Adam Smith (1776) defined what was then called Political Economy as "an inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations" Alfred Marshall provides a still widely cited definition in his textbook Principles of Economics (1890) that extends analysis beyond wealth and from the societal to the microeconomic level: Economics is a study of man in the ordinary business of life. It enquires how he gets his income and how he uses it. Thus, it is on the one side, the study of wealth and on the other and more important side, a part of the study of man.
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

THREE ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

THREE ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

1. Profession This is an occupation carried on by specialized individuals and groups e.g. Engineers, Lawyers, Pharmacists, Accountants, etc. They provide services in return for fees. Often Professionals go through certain path, through education, trainings, accreditations etc

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

THREE ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

2. Employment This is a type of occupation by which an individual offers his services, either mentally or physically in exchange for wages or salaries.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

THREE ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

3. Business Business is an economic activity concerned with production and distribution of goods and services with the aim to earn profit. It includes all those activities which are directly or indirectly concerned with production, purchase and sale of goods and services. So the production, marketing, advertising, warehousing, insurance, banking, etc. are all business activities.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERS AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In the beginning, Engineers are mainly identified with Agriculture, Constructions, Industrial Revolution, Mechanization, Urbanization, etc. However, Engineers of the 21st century have more responsibility as their works found great uses in medicines, communication, energy, environment, water supply, etc

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERS AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

According to a UNESCO report, the tasks confronting Engineers of the twenty-first century are:
1.

2.

Engineering the world to avert an environmental crisis caused in part by earlier generations in terms of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and their contribution to climate change, and Engineering the large proportion of the worlds increasing population out of poverty, and the associated problems encapsulated by the UN Millennium Development Goals.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERS AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

We are faced with two prong challenges of contributing our skills to global development as well as contributing to global poverty reduction. The Engineer of 21st century therefore must bear in mind that his services as well as his entrepreneurial skill is needed by the society to enjoy robust economic development.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

SOCIO-ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES WHERE ENGINEERS ARE VERY ACTIVE

Energy Supply Poverty reduction Manufacturing Environmental protection Water and Irrigation Agriculture

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL AND VISION 20:2020

The United Nations proposed these prong actions toward tackling global challenges which are Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve Universal Primary Education Promote Gender Equality and empower women Reduce Child Mortality Improve Maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases Ensure Environmental sustainability

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL AND VISION 20:2020

As if taking a cue, the Nigerian Government on its part formulated an ambitious Vision 20:2020 in which is hinged on transforming Nigerian into the group of Top 20 economies in the world by the year 2020? The Nigerian Vision 20:2020 received various contributions from all sectors of the economy including Engineering.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL AND VISION 20:2020

So far, it is clear to all that the Nation can only truly join the great economies when it develop its technology base and also ensure strong local economy. The UN have released another document A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development which contain new and far reaching proposal for completely ending extreme poverty by 2030. The paper calls for ambitious and universal agenda to build on the success of the MDGs and promotes sustainable development.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

DEVELOPMENT INDEX

Development are measured in many ways stable governance structures functioning civil society, Freedom from persecution, conflict and corruption. Wealth and prosperity.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

DEVELOPMENT INDEX
However, a nation with all of these without improved standard of living of its people is deemed to have failed. Technology acquisition also plays a huge role in determining the level of development of a nation; mostly measured in positive ways. Most importantly the local business sector must be active.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

TWO TYPES OF ENGINEERS

There are two types of Engineers in today economy What-do-do Engineers How-to-do- Engineers

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

TWO TYPES OF ENGINEERS

While most Engineers have their core competency, which is the areas of their specializations, not all of them can translate this into economic activities on their own. They perform creditably in any Engineering activity they undertake but cannot function properly as Entrepreneurs.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENTREPRENEURIAL ENGINEERING
Entrepreneurial Engineering can be defined as the set of functions required to fill the front end of the design-produce-service pipeline with innovative technologies and technology-based products and services capable of providing significant growth, profitability, and sustainable competitive advantage. (Mark Polczynski, and Stanley Jaskolski, 2005)

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENTREPRENEURIAL ENGINEERING
Entrepreneurial Engineering can be considered a subset of the more general field of Entrepreneurship. While including the basic skills and knowledge required for successful Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Engineering focuses primarily on generating technology-based opportunities and the particular challenges of effectively identifying, acquiring, developing, and transferring Technology into viable new products and services.
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENTREPRENEURIAL ENGINEERING

How-to-do Engineers employ their professional skills to create enterprising ventures when opportunities arise. They mobilize their resources and skills toward profitable ventures.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEURS CASE STUDY: STEVEN L. REID

Steven L. Reid founded Industrial Environmental Systems in Marietta, Georgia, in 2001. After a 20-year career with an Engineering firm in Atlanta, serving as Engineering Manager and Chief Operating Officer, Reid still felt unfulfilled because he was not in a position to make important, strategic decisions for the company. As a result, he followed his entrepreneurial yearning to start his own companya contract manufacturer of stacks, ductwork, pollution control, and noise control systemswhere he (happily) calls all the shots every day.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEURS CASE STUDY: STEVEN L. REID

During an interview with Mark Crawford who is an independent writer, he was asked Does being Entrepreneurial make you a better Engineer? He replied: Key aspects to being Entrepreneurial are vision and opportunity. Being Entrepreneurial allows an Engineer to be more strategic in a project or in an organization. This means he or she can wear different hats and contribute in multiple ways. Being involved at multiple, cross-disciplinary levels can give an Engineer a broader perspective on the end result of the project, sometimes resulting in Engineering insights and decisions that improve the final product.
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEURS CASE STUDY: STEVEN L. REID

Although an Entrepreneur is generally defined as an individual, a group or an organization can also be Entrepreneurial. Just as an individual can add other disciplines to his/her technical base, groups can do the same. When individuals of different skills come together and collaborate to pursue a common goal, the team can be Entrepreneurial.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEURS CASE STUDY: STEVEN L. REID

This is also a good time to be an Entrepreneur. With the globalization of business and the uncertain economy, there are plenty of opportunities to evaluate and pursue. So, the global economy, with its chaos and disarray, is actually a target-rich environment for Technology-based Entrepreneurs. Recognizing and vetting these opportunities, often within constrained timeframes, are challenges more easily handled by Entrepreneurial Engineers.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

OPPORTUNITIES IN ENGINEERING
Renewable energy Aviation Environmental Engineering Chemical and Petrochemical Constructions and infrastructure delivery Manufacturing Research and Development Automotive and Automobile industries Computers and Software Oil and Gas Education Advocacy and Policy Recycling Business

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ARE ENGINEERS SUITABLE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

Being a good Engineer does not make you automatically good for business. Successful Business Executives and Entrepreneurs are not the same thing as most people think. There are people who worked with Corporations and Establishments and rose to the top but fall flat when they venture into entrepreneurial world.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ARE ENGINEERS SUITABLE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

And there are people who have to resign from their lowly paid job as Company Executives to make massive success when they venture into the world of entrepreneurship. Therefore, Engineers must not make the mistake of assuming that all they need to become successful in entrepreneurial ventures is their skills or position at their paid job.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

LEONARDO DA VINCI
Consider probably one of the most creative Engineers in history: Leonardo Da Vinci; A man who conceived of solar power, crank mechanisms, steam cannon, the double hull, calculators and so much more. He was someone who brought Engineering alongside emotional insight, technique and creativity to his paintings.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

LEONARDO DA VINCI
For Da Vinci was a man for puzzles not problems. A puzzle is something that we consider for its own sake and the pleasure of the solution comes from solving it. A problem relates to state of affairs which needs altering. Da Vinci did not want to improve communication between Florence and Rome and go ahead and create lowcost rapid mule travel. He wondered what it would take for man to fly.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

CHALLENGES FACING THE NATION

Challenges facing the Nation Massive Unemployment and underemployment Low productivity Becoming a dumping ground for Foreign products Increasing population General Inclination to consume rather than produce

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

CHALLENGES FACING THE NATION

It may be that many Engineers are happier as puzzlerather than problem-solvers. An Entrepreneur, on the other hand, may need to be able to put something down because it is too absorbing and get on to fix the state of affairs - or commercial and social opportunity. A great idea does not equal an entrepreneurial breakthrough; companies have died on the back of great ideas that were misconceived as commercial opportunities. There are two sorts of thinking here. Sometimes they exist in one person such as Dyson. More often they are best achieved by creating open dialogue between the puzzler and the problem solver. (Steve Carter is a senior partner of Apter Development)

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

LESSONS FROM ASIA

In 1960s, South Korea is head to head with many African countries on economic level: The GDP of South Korea was inferior to that Senegal or Mozanbique. But today, the Korea is among the top economies in the world. The country has no oil or diamond as in many Africal countries like Nigeria. By extension, China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and even India all have gone through growth paths from which we can draw a lot of lessons.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

GLOBAL STATISTICS
In Japan, Factories with less than 20 employees account for up to 87.3% of total number of factories, 20.1% of total workforce, and 12.6% of the total national output. Also, the Indian economy has its greatness in the proper attention paid to engineering entrepreneurship Engineering Population: Strong performing economies, e.g. India, China, Malaysia, Turkey and South Korea, etc. have one thing in common, i.e. a commitment to Engineering.
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

World Development Report 2005 and 2002 OECD submitted that a strong Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) base is necessary for development. The lesson that we have learnt from the Asian countries is that effective entrepreneurial education, training and development are the only sure path to National Economic Development. Also, there is need for massive engineering and manufacturing activities to enhance Local Direct Investment, LDI and economic growth. Nigeria can trend this path through the collaborative and interactive efforts of the Educational Institutions, the Government, Business organisations and their relevant social institution listed above. The end results will be mass turnout of creative agents of development- the Entrepreneurs. The products of the interactive model will be Technologists, Innovators, Scientists, Engineers, Accountants, Technicians who are Entrepreneurs in their own rights.
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

SKILLS NEEDED TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR

Learn to see the big picture Have Hunger for success: Courage: Functional competency: Prioritization and tradeoffs: Motivational skill:. Decision makers: Initiative

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS
THE WAY OUT With the manufacturing sectors seriously stressed and the nation producing more graduates than its civil services and manufacturing can absorb, the country will have to turn to her Entrepreneur Engineers to make things happen. Since Engineers are naturally problem solvers and can bring something out of nothing, three prong action steps are expected to achieve our goal of nurturing Engineering Entrepreneurs and encouraging them to bring their ideas to life.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

Governments must create the right environment, and in some cases even intervene directly, to encourage local Engineer Entrepreneur grow. Professional Associations must gear up toward developing their members. NSE and her Institutions/Divisions must all come up with plans, CPD and activities aim at encouraging Entrepreneur Engineers nationwide. Engineers themselves must begin to recognize their roles in nation building. They must not be content at just getting the work done and moving on. They must constantly develop themselves and recognise the dynamic change in the society and that increasing responsibilities are given to them in the 21st century.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

IT IS IN THE HANDS OF ENGINEERS

Working towards the UN MDGs therefore requires Engineers to become involved. (UNESCO reports) The critical role of underpinning infrastructure for development was stated by Calestous Juma (Chair of the UN Science, Technology and Innovation Task Force): At least three key factors contributed to the rapid economic transformation of emerging economies. First, they invested heavily in basic infrastructure, which served as a foundation for technological learning. Second, they nurtured the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, which required the development of local operational, repair and maintenance expertise. Third, their Governments supported, funded and nurtured higher educational institutions, academies of engineering and technological sciences, professional engineering and technological associations, and industrial and trade associations.
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

JOHN BOYD, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS

STATES

Issues of sustainable development, poverty reduction and climate change are fundamentally engineering issues. We have to learn to broaden our design brief beyond the traditional objectives of schedule, cost and conventional scope. We have to learn to include broader societal necessities such as minimizing water, energy and materials use, respecting human and cultural rights, and looking out for health and safety, not only within the work but also in its impacts. This is a challenge that needs true engineering innovation. Leadership in this issue requires us to go beyond our comfort zone, to engage in the debates of our society, and to stand up for values regardless of their popularity.
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

GERARD VAN OORTMERSSEN, PRESIDENT CAETS, 2008, INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF ACADEMIES OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES ON HIS PART OPINE: Prosperity and Economic Development are not distributed equally over the worldOur society is facing problems, which, to some degree, have been caused by developments for which Engineers are responsible: the depletion of natural resources, environmental problems and climate change. Talented Engineers are needed to provide solutions for these problems through greater efficiency in production processes and transportation systems, new sustainable energy sources, more efficient use of materials; the recovery of materials from waste... the list is long. There is growing demand for Engineering talent from a growing and developing global population. Engineers, more and more, have to be aware of the social and environmental impacts of Technology, and have to work in complex teams, interacting and cooperating with society. .

AND

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS PANACEA TO NIGERIAN DEVELOPMENT

With population rising at a frightening pace, massive urbanization, globalization and increasing stress on local manufacturing sector, the nation face serious crisis in future unless it wakes up her Entrepreneurs and encourage idle ones to get to work. Many potential Engineering Entrepreneurs are idle because they either have no incentives or resources to start. As we look at the future of this great nation, we must begin to key in the Engineers in the Plan and Development programmes. We must begin to understand the need to build human capital base for engineering and encourage them to contribute into Economic activities and National Development. A publication on Young engineer website noted that: Today, it is true to say that virtually every aspect of our daily lives is enabled or aided in some way by Engineers. Engineers make things happen, they turn ideas into real products and they provide the solutions to lifes everyday practical problems.
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Engineers cannot continue to blame other professions for their lack of jobs or lack of Economic activities, our Profession has prepared us to assume greater roles as we combine our technical capability with Entrepreneurial prowess Engineers must get familiar with Policy and Politics. While political participation is not compulsory or the way out in itself, we must never let loose of the focus on the way we are being governed. And our voice must not be so loud in our silence. It is time we begin to speak out Engineers to take advantage of local content Bill in the industry
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

Engineers must take CPD very seriously no matter their years of experiences. They can attend executive trainings organised by NSE and her Institutions/Divisions periodically Engineers should look into partnerships where they could not individually raise the funds needed Think Global, Act Local: we must consider ourselves as a member of the global community, encourage ourselves to raise our competency level to the level of our counterparts in other part of the world, yet, we must equally adapt our initiatives and idea to suit our local need. Let us start where we are. Get familiar with the economy and expand your knowledge base Read widely, update yourself!
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

Melvin J. Evan must be talking to Nigerian Engineers when he once said The men who build the future are those who know that greater things are yet to come and that they themselves can help bring it about. Their minds are illuminated by blazing sun of hope, and the never get time to doubt.

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

I will conclude this in the word of Alvin Toffler, The Illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. Thank you!

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

END

2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture

References/Bibliography Engineering for Changing World: A road Map to the future of Engineering Practices, Research and Education, The Millennium Project, University of Michigan. Linking Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth, Sander Wennekers and Roy Thurik The Necessity of Engineering Entrepreneurship Education for Developing Economies, A. A. Rafaat. Are Engineers good entrepreneurs?, Interview with Steve Carter. Engineering Economy-The pathway to Entrepreneurship in engineering, A. Putilov ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A PROPOSAL FOR EVANGELISTIC AGENDA O.J.K Ogundele and James .O. Abiola (Entrepreneurial Engineering Education Mark Polczynski and Stanley Jaskolski) Engineering: Issues Challenges and opportunities for Development (UNESCO Reports 2003) Lessons from Asian Tigers, Dr.Robert Adjaye
2013, Olu Awoyinfa Distinguished Annual Lecture