The emergence of artificial intelligence could disrupt traditional engineering systems and replace designs that have been historically undertaken by human engineers, according to the President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote.
He urged professionals to take a proactive role in shaping the future of the engineering discipline.
Dangote predicted the increasing role of AI during his address at his induction as an Honorary Fellow of The Nigerian Academy of Engineering in Lagos on Friday.
He said, “Today, we are witnessing the impact of artificial intelligence in virtually all spheres of life. It is gradually replacing human capability and hard-thinking characteristics of real human beings.
“It is possible that AI will soon phase out engineering designs usually undertaken by human engineers.”
He urged innovation to sustain human applications. “I call on engineers to step in and lend their voice on the ramifications of AI to their profession on how it is being taught and practised,” the industrialist remarked.
Dangote stressed that engineers must take ownership of the evolving landscape by influencing how artificial intelligence integrates into engineering education and real-world applications.
He reaffirmed the centrality of engineering to national development, declaring that industrialisation remains impossible without the profession.
Dangote said, “Engineering is more than a profession. It is a language of progress. Every bridge that connects a community, every heater that lights a home, and every drop of fuel that powers our economy began as a calculation by an engineer.
“In my decades of building businesses across this continent, I have come to a singular and unshakable conclusion: No nation can industrialise without the ingenuity of engineers. We are the silent architects of our national development.”
Highlighting the role of engineering in his conglomerate’s growth, Dangote said the group’s industrial achievements were built on technical expertise and innovation. He received the honorary fellowship while thanking his co-workers.
He said, “I accept this honorary fellowship with deep appreciation, mindful that the Dangote Group, the nation’s foremost manufacturing conglomerate, has been built on the foundation of engineering excellence and technological innovation across all its business units. To tell you how important engineering is, it is the same engineering that we used to build a refinery with a capacity of more than 50 per cent of any that has been built in this world.”
Dangote added that thousands of engineers had driven the group’s operations across its refinery, fertiliser, and other industrial projects, noting that the company remained Nigeria’s largest employer of engineering and technology graduates.
He said, “We have come to fully appreciate the central role of engineering in driving economic transformation and sustainable industrial growth. Today, we are proud to be Nigeria’s largest employer of engineering and technology graduates. Our engineers are central to our operations, making up to over 15 per cent of our workforce across Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, Dangote Fertiliser, and all the other Dangote businesses.”
On capacity development, Dangote disclosed that the firm had invested heavily in training local engineers and exposing them to global best practices.
He said, “Recognising the need to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and industrial application, we established Dangote Academy, where young engineers undergo rigorous hands-on training before being integrated into our workforce. Hundreds of young engineers have been trained in Europe in the use of advanced technologies in large-scale complex industries.”
He warned, however, that Nigeria must deepen its engineering talent pool to compete globally, citing China’s massive investment in engineering education as a model.
President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Prof. Rahamon Bello, said Dangote’s induction recognised his contributions to engineering-driven industrialisation.
Bello said, “Through strategic foresight and bold investments anchored by the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has championed large-scale industrialisation in Nigeria and across Africa, investing in sectors that are foundational to engineering practice and which form the backbone of economic growth.
“The establishment of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals stands today as a landmark achievement, representing one of the most ambitious industrial projects ever undertaken in Africa.”
Rahamon noted that Dangote’s induction makes the industrialist the sixth honorary fellow since the commencement of the academy in 1970.
“This means that only special people who have had some form of impact on engineering, science, and technology in the nation are the ones who have been so selected,” he declared.
According to the president, the Academy is a gathering of accomplished engineering professionals who “discuss issues and offer solutions to the government for implementation.”
Also speaking was the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Adekunle Olayinka described the Dangote Refinery as a testament to engineering excellence.
Olayinka said, “The Dangote Refinery situated in Lagos stands as one of the most complex engineering undertakings ever executed on African soil, a monument to what is possible when ambition is matched by execution.’
Olayinka described Dangote’s investments as having “generated hundreds of thousands of jobs and catalysed the growth of industries across the continent.”
He added that the state would continue to support investments that drive industrial growth and engineering development.
Read the full article here
