Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress, APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has called for greater involvement of engineers in policymaking and infrastructure development, stressing the need for professional expertise in identifying gaps and improving public institutions.
Hamzat made the call during an engagement and fireside chat themed “Stability to Shared Prosperity,” organised by the Lagos branches of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE in collaboration with the PBAT-KOH-2027 campaign.
Speaking at the event, Hamzat said his personal experiences and engineering background had shaped his understanding of governance, institutional development and the need for practical solutions to national challenges.
He argued that engineers should participate in the design and implementation of policies and projects rather than wait until decisions have been made, noting that early involvement could help prevent waste of resources and improve development outcomes.
According to him, engineers are trained to measure, assess and identify gaps, skills that could help government retain effective institutions and ensure they function consistently for citizens.
Hamzat also urged professionals to move beyond criticism and become actively involved in public service and nation-building, drawing on the lessons of his own experiences.
Earlier, the Chairman of the NSE, Victoria Island Branch, Engr. Babatunde James, said the engagement provided an opportunity to strengthen dialogue between government and professional institutions.
He noted that Lagos’ infrastructure, technology, innovation and sustainable development needs made the engineering profession critical to the state’s economic growth.
James said engineers could contribute to infrastructure delivery, local technical capacity and sustainable development through effective collaboration with government.
Representing the NSE President, Engr. Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, the society’s Immediate Past President, Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala, said the gathering reflected the organisation’s commitment to engaging government, industry and other stakeholders in shaping policies and advancing national development.
Oguntala said engineering was central to infrastructure, industrial growth, national security, economic transformation and improving citizens’ quality of life.
She called for a more structured and enduring partnership between the Lagos State Government and the NSE to enable engineers contribute to policy development, project implementation and infrastructure monitoring.
Oguntala also congratulated Hamzat on emerging as the APC governorship candidate for the forthcoming election and expressed the society’s goodwill towards his political aspirations.
The Head of the Formal Sector, Contact and Mobilisation Directorate of the PBAT-KOH-2027 campaign and Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, welcomed participants and said the engagement offered an opportunity to hear Hamzat’s views on public service, his vision for Lagos and the role of engineers in the state’s development.
The event brought together members of the engineering profession and other stakeholders for discussions on governance, infrastructure and sustainable development.