Engineering Education and Sustainable Development in Nigeria

This paper examines Engineering Education (EE) in Nigeria as a suitable vehicle towards sustainable development of the socio-economic infrastructures necessary for the growth of enterprise, and for the maximization of social welfare. The state of EE in Nigerian Universities was examined using data derived from the database of the regulatory bodies. A data register was employed to capture the needed data and these were analyzed using statistical analysis. Results of the 1999/2000 accreditation exercise of the 17 Engineering disciplines available in 129 Engineering departments of Nigerian Universities, show that twenty-one (16.28%) got full accreditation, 69 (53.49%) got interim, while 39 (30.23%) got denied accreditation. Sadly, these figures are alarming and may be detrimental to the Nigerian thirst for national development and socioeconomic growth. Undoubtedly, the quest for sustainable development depends on the extent to which EE is revamped and transformed to compete globally. Research and technology development for sustainable national development must be encouraged and well funded. This will enable Nigeria to surmount present dependence on imported technologies, goods and services.