Taiwo Afolabi confident new engineering resource centre will boost professional development
...Says Sifax Group open to partnerships for trade advancement
Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Group Executive Vice Chairman of Sifax Group, has expressed confidence that the newly-built Rauf Aregbesola Resource Centre, Lagos, would serve as place for continued skills development in engineering discipline.
Speaking on Monday at the official commissioning of the Centre in Lagos, Dr. Afolabi also said that the centre would support job creation for young enterprising engineers.
His words: “This well-conceived project would help to develop our young engineers and create an atmosphere of learning and re- learning in order to fulfill the Executive Order Five of President Muhammed Buhari GCON.
“The team envisioned that this innovative building would serve as a training, development and resource place for the professional development of all Engineers and production of parts for commercial purpose.
“This legacy from the Engineering Icon would help in creating more jobs in the Technopreneurship space for young Engineers and also give opportunity to practicing Engineers in the area of Professional Development and Local Content Practice.”
Describing the centre as a direct response to addressing a huge gap between the classroom and the industry, Dr. Afolabi lauded the initiators and those who took time to drive the project to completion.
“The Rauf Aregbesola Engineering Resource centre which we are commissioning today, was envisioned in February 2020 by the administration of Engr. Mrs. Olufunmilade Akingbagbohun FNSE FNIMechE.
“The current administration of the NSE through Engr. Tosin Ogunmolade has taken this baton boldly and has led it to an impressive conclusion,” Afolabi said.
He recognised Aregbesola’s passion and drive for engineering skills as strong points that prompted him to buy into the project and helped in raising the necessary funds for the building project.
Dr. Afolabi added that as people who appreciate value, his company would be open to partnership with the engineering society for the benefit of trade advancement.
“At SIFAX Group, we recognize value when we see one and I must say that this project is of value.
“We are leading a charge where all our engineers are putting their best into making sure that we continue to deliver value to all our customers.
“Our engineers at SAHCO Plc, one of the subsidiaries of the Group in the aviation sector, has produced equipment sourced from local materials which have received global attention and mention.
“We are open to a mutually-benefitting partnership between the Group and the Nigerian Society of Engineers in order to continually harness the best in the trade,” Dr. Afolabi said.
