Amgbare Ekaunkumo,Yenagoa
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in collaboration with Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company Limited (First E&P), has launched the maiden edition of the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO), a national competition designed to turn innovative final-year engineering projects into market-ready solutions.
The initiative, championed by Enactus Nigeria and backed by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), targets final-year undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students across the country.
Speaking at the launch, NCDMB Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by Director of Capacity Building, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, said the Olympiad directly supports President Bola Tinubu’s “Nigeria First” policy by addressing the acute shortage of industry-ready engineers.
“Only a negligible percentage of our engineering graduates are considered employable by industry upon graduation,” Ogbe stated.
“This skills deficit has led to over-reliance on expatriates and an accelerating brain drain with serious consequences for national development.”
He described NEO as a flagship platform that will annually identify, mentor and connect exceptional engineering talent to industry and commercialisation opportunities.
Country Director of Enactus Nigeria, Michael Ajayi, explained that the competition seeks to “connect academic creativity with industry realities” and transform ideas into enterprises. “Innovation must be nurtured where it begins in the minds of young engineers,” he said.
Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Ayodele Olawande, represented by Ms. Ebiho Agun, hailed Nigerian youth as the nation’s greatest asset in a knowledge-driven global economy and pledged the ministry’s full support.
First E&P’s General Manager, Integrated Gas, Engr. Yetunde Taiwo, stressed the need to retain talent within the country.
“Many of our best graduates leave because they see limited opportunities to deploy their skills locally. NEO, through government-industry partnership, will create sustainable career pathways in the energy sector and beyond.”
President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Margaret Aina Ogunsola, who delivered the keynote address, called the Olympiad a “watershed moment” and a national innovation incubator.
She confirmed that NSE will provide expert mentorship, prototype development support and ensure winning innovations meet international standards.
The competition is structured in four stages: an intra-university round (one winner per institution), regional contests across the six geo-political zones (five teams per zone, producing 30 national teams), semi-finals (12 teams), and a grand finale on 11 April 2026 where four overall winners will be crowned.
