The Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Lokoja Branch, has called for the development of a safe and resilient industrial system with emphasis on flood management, infrastructure, environmental sustainability and the development of local engineering capacity.
The Chairman of the NSE, Lokoja Branch, Engineer Emmanuel Adanu made the call at the 2026 Engineering Week held on Monday in Lokoja , kogi state capital.
The chairman noted that the theme of the week ” Engineering the Confluence Industrial system for Lokoja ‘s flow safety and resilience” was apt as it captures Lokoja’s position at the meeting point of the River Niger and River Benue as a major advantage for industrial development.
Engr. Adanu in his welcome address described the confluence as their identity, their advantage and their responsibility as lokoja city was naturally positioned to serve as an industrial gateway for agro-processing, power, logistics and inland water transport.
He, however, noted that the benefits of the confluence also came with challenges, including flooding, erosion and the effects of climate change, which he said had made the rivers less forgiving in recent years.
“As engineers, our job is clear; we must build prosperity without gambling,” he said.
The chairman explained that a Confluence Industrial System was not limited to factories but involved an integrated system of industries, infrastructure and people.
He said the system should include industries that depend on water, such as ports, agro-allied plants and energy facilities, as well as infrastructure capable of protecting them through levees, drainage, smart monitoring and utilities.
He also stressed the need for skilled workers and communities that live safely alongside the rivers.
“It only works if we design with the river, not against it,” he said.
On flow safety, the chairman called for real-time flood forecasting to provide industries with seven to 14 days’ warning, strict setback laws and measures to ensure that critical facilities were not established in floodplains without adequate safeguards.
He also advocated river training and erosion control around jetties and bridges, describing safety as “the insurance policy for investment.”
The NSE chairman said industrial resilience should focus on the ability of industries and infrastructure to recover quickly from disasters.
He called for industrial clusters that could shut down and restart in modules, alongside green solutions such as wetlands and buffer zones.
Engineer Adanu further advocated for the use of digital models of rivers to test disasters before they occur and stressed the importance of local engineers and technicians who could maintain the systems.
The NSE Lokoja Branch also announced three commitments aimed at strengthening flow safety and industrial development in the City and promise to partner with the Kogi State Government, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to make flow safety audits mandatory for industries.
The branch also announced plans to develop a “Lokoja Confluence Engineering Guideline,” which it described as an own code for building at a river confluence.
The third commitment, he disclosed would focus on collaboration among government, industry and academia, with the objective of moving papers and ideas into projects.
The chairman hinted that Lokoja’s future depended on how the city managed its flow, water, people and ideas.
“If we get this right, Lokoja will not just survive floods. We will lead,” he said.
He added that Lokoja could become a reference point for river-based industrial resilience in Africa.
He charged members to reflect deeply on the theme of the conference and to act swiftly, saying the Engineering Week provides platform for reflection
Also speaking during the programme, the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, said Engineering Week occupied a special place in the calendar of the professional body because it provided engineers with an opportunity to pause, reflect and recommit themselves to the ideals of the profession.
Rabiu said the period also enabled engineers to exchange knowledge, celebrate achievements, stimulate innovation and examine challenges confronting society.
According to him, Engineering Week provides a platform that brings together engineers, policymakers, academics, industry leaders, researchers, investors, young professionals and other stakeholders to deliberate on issues shaping the future of Nigeria.
He said the country was confronted with complex challenges in infrastructure, energy, transportation, housing, water, agriculture, manufacturing, technology, environmental sustainability and national security.
“The role engineering has never been more consequential,” he said, stressing that Nigeria needed engineers not only to diagnose problems but to design solutions.
He described engineering as the practical expression of human ingenuity in the service of society, saying it converts ideas into infrastructure, knowledge into technology, challenges into opportunities and aspirations into tangible realities.
Rabiu said the profession must remain at the forefront of Nigeria’s journey towards sustainable development, economic transformation and a more secure and prosperous future.
The NSE President also used the occasion to invite engineers, professionals and stakeholders to the 2026 International Engineering Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
The conference is scheduled to hold from Monday, November 30 to Friday, December 4, 2026, at the International Conference Centre, Maiduguri, Borno State.
The conference will be held under the theme, “Engineering Innovation for Enhanced Security and Sustainable National Development.”
Rabiu said the event would provide a platform for engineers, policymakers, researchers, academics, development partners, industry leaders and security experts to deliberate on engineering-driven solutions to Nigeria’s security issues and contemporary challenges.
He said preparations for the conference had continued to receive encouraging support at the highest levels of government, adding that the NSE had also received tremendous support from security agencies and departments.
According to him, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, had confirmed his attendance and acceptance to deliver the keynote address.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Rilwan Disu, had also accepted the invitation, while the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, had earlier confirmed his participation.
Rabiu said the confirmations underscored the national significance of the conference and its central theme.
He urged participants to join the NSE in Maiduguri to explore how innovation, technology and professional expertise could contribute to a safer, more prosperous and sustainable Nigeria.
The President also expressed appreciation to the distinguished speakers, resource persons, experts, guests and participants who honoured the invitation to the Engineering Week programme, saying their presence demonstrated their commitment to professional excellence, knowledge sharing, innovation and the advancement of engineering and industrial development in Nigeria.
The occasion features speakers from the academia, notably experts from Confluence University of Science and Technology Custech Osara and Federal University Lokoja, faculty of Engineering who promise to galvanize seamless intellectual resource to enrich and deepen the practice of engineering for the progress and growth of the society.
It also features good will messages from the Ajaokuta branch and the Obajana brach who promised to work in synergy with Lokoja branch to move the engineering practice in the right direction.
The highlight of the occasion was the presentation of awards to government officials, corporate organizations and individuals who have helped to shape in the right direction engineering practice in the state.
