Membership of NSE ORLU PRESENTATION.pptx

Nigerian society of Engineers

1. ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY ERA Engr. Prof. Michael C. Ndinechi KSM, MNSE Dean, School of Electrical Systems Engineering and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri , Imo State, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected] 1

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE Introduction Digital Economy Concept Historical Background of Engineering Education In Nigeria Engineering Education in National Development Relevant Engineering Education Curriculum Training Opportunities Outside the Classroom Job Opportunities in the Digital Economy Era Digital Economies as an Enabler for National Growth Embedded System As A Case Study for Digital Economy Growth Conclusions References 2

3. INTRODUCTION I will like to start this discussion by asking us “ Who is an Engineer ” ? My definition of an Engineer may be quite distinct from what you think. To me an Engineer is that man or woman destined to make the world better for the whole humanity. A friend of mine once put it this way: Engineers are the only people chosen by God to show the world with the works of their hands what God has said. And so, provided there is still an Engineer existing on Earth, God’s work of creation must continue until such time God says, “All is good”. Then, like the Biblical Elijah, the Engineer will be taken up to start the reconstruction of paradise. 3

4. However, the wisdom of an Engineer is not because he fabricates natural resources into heavy equipment and machineries, but because each of his actions is motivated by thought. According to Bertrand Russell in his book, “ History of Western Philosophy ” [1], an Engineer is a civilized man and is distinguished from a savage mainly by prudence or forethought. He is willing to endure the present pains and pleasures for the sake of future pleasures even if the future pleasures are rather distant. To solve human problems, one ought to know the people. Therefore, Engineers must strive to be politicians, sociologists, scientists, artists etc. It is therefore our tasks as Engineers to do all things capable of elevating humanity by eliminating human sufferings and tribulations. Therefore in my thought, man must be either born as an Engineer or trained to be one by way of education. 4

5. DIGITAL ECONOMY CONCEPT The world is in the era of digital Economy. Digital Economy is defined as the part of economic activities derived primarily from digital technologies leveraging Information and Communications Technology (ICT) with a business model based on digital goods and services[2]. Another definition feels that it is the new economy of the Internet of Things ( IoT ), which makes use of web platforms for dissemination of information everywhere, at any time [3]. It plays a crucial role in aiding globalization and in advancing the knowledge era. The digital economy ecosystem has three main conceptual components as can be seen from figure 1 namely Promotions and Innovations, Supporting Infrastructure, and Society and Knowledge 5

6. Society & Knowledge Digital Economy Ecosystem   Service Infrastructure   Supporting Infrastructure Promotions & Innovations Hardware Infrastructure   Software Infrastructure   People with HighEnd Skills   How Business is Conducted   Transfer of Goods   Figure 1: Conceptual Components of Digital Economy[3] 6

7. From figure 1, every digital economy is powered by skills embedded in STEM development culture. STEM which is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is a global education concept that encompasses the processes of critical thinking, analysis and collaboration in which students integrate the processes and concepts in real world[3]–[6]. With STEM Education, future generation will be equipped with the in-demand quality skills that will make them readily available to invent and apply new technologies globally. However, to actualize the much-needed change to move Nigeria to the knowledge era of digital economy, the severe shortage of STEM skill set manpower must be filled up quickly for this knowledge era and digital economy ecosystem to be sustained[7]. 7

8. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN NIGERIA[9] Let us look back a bit. The National Policy on Education (1981) [8] stated that the National Engineering Education should: Provide trained manpower in applied Science, Engineering and Technology and Provide people who can apply (critical) scientific and engineering knowledge to the improvement and solution of environmental problems for the use and convenience of man amongst others. The key thing here is that Nigerian Government recognized the fact that the development of Nigeria depends on how well engineering is taught to our next generation as far back as 1981. 8

9. Engineering education in Nigeria started in 1957 at the Zaria branch of the Nigerian College of Arts and Science as the faculty of Engineering of the University College, Ibadan. The “Mid – 19 th Century Universities of London Model” was adopted where students trained for the B.Sc. (Eng.) Degree of the University of London. In 1962, the Faculty of Engineering of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) came into existence but the Special Relationship Examinations for the University of London Degree continued till 1965. The University of Nigeria Nsukka Faculty of Engineering came into existence in 1961 as the first Engineering Faculty in Nigeria and departed from the University of London – ABU. Extending University admission to holders of the School Certificate or ordinary level G.C.E. and Four years programme for holders of Advanced Level G.C.E. qualification and Five Years for Ordinary Level entrants. 9

10. The University of Nigeria Nsukka developed its own curriculum in Agricultural, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering with special objective to include materials relevant to the needs of the Country. University of Lagos followed in 1964 and adopted the three year University of London structure with strong UNESCO support. Obafemi Awolowo University started in 1970 and added Chemical Engineering and Food Science and Technology. University of Benin faculty of Engineering came into existence in 1971 and introduced Industrial Attachment principle which is still in existence up till date. Then, in rapid succession, others were established. Then enter the Universities of Technology. The idea was to have a remarkable deviation from the conventional Universities. By 1980, Government realized the yawning gap and shortfalls in the Engineering curriculum and started the establishment of Federal Universities of Technology with the sole aim of bridging the gap between The Industries and Academia. These universities were mandated to train the critical manpower in the areas of Agricultural, Electrical and Electronic, Metallurgy and Materials, Petroleum, Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, Polymer and Textile Engineering. These fields of engineering were identified to be the bedrock for the rapid growth of Nigeria especially in the areas of Technology and Economic self-reliance. These Universities were charged with the mandate to harness and develop indigenous Technology [10] of their catchment areas. 10

11. ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY ERA Generally speaking, without education, development will rarely occur. It is only an educated individual that can acquire skills necessary for sustainable economic development in the digital economy. According to World Commission on Education and Development (WCED), (1987), Sustainable Development (SD)[11] is defined as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The UNESCO in its Courier in 1988 [10], produced the contributions of the conference organized by the French President Franscios Mitterand tagged “Facing the challenges of 21 st Century Threats and Promises” . Amongst the communique of the conference include: Education must become the absolute priority in all National Budget . 11

12. Science is a form of power and access to science must be equitably shared among individuals and peoples. Science and Technology must be made available to developing countries in particular to help them gain control over their own future and define the knowledge they deem necessary for their development. Developing countries like Nigeria are not only called Third World because it is behind in education, but rather, because it is far behind in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education . In real sense, Engineering and Technology have transformed the way we live and with each decade, the changes are more remarkable than the last. To me, Michael Faraday and James Watt, from their scientific inventions freed more men and women from “slavery” (poverty) than Abraham Lincoln . Science and Engineering increase comfort, reduce unhappiness and then poverty. 12

13. RELEVANT ENGINEERING EDUCATION CURRICULUM The National Universities Commission (NUC) is currently working to harmonize Engineering curriculum in what is called CCMAS (Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard). Only 30% of such curriculum is left for universities to use to harness the potentials of their catchment areas. I want to leave my thoughts on that for another day. However, for digital transformation to occur in any country, digital economy skills must be developed and sustained in that country as the key enabler. Instilling the necessary skills must form a key strategy of any nation’s digital transformation strategies. Developing skills for digital economy are critical to both job success and for one to be relevant in the digital society. Such skills include but are not limited to being able to search for materials online, using emails or other instant messaging tools, using private network platforms and knowledge of digital financial services. 13

14. Millions of emerging openings in jobs in the digital economy era will require far more advanced digital skills than mentioned above. Therefore, it is expected that substantial talent gaps may emerge between workers proficient with ICT and those lacking ICT skills in the near future. Hence, engineering curriculum must include substantial aspect of ICT and less of General Studies. A recent survey by the International Telecommunication Union showed that most young people called “ digital natives ” still lack sufficient job-relevant digital skills to fill vacancies [12]. Even though the Covid-19 pandemic has boosted digitization, it has also exposed severe infrastructural challenges in Internet connectivity and the need for enough digital skills to participate effectively in the online transactions. Therefore, there is keen demand for digitally-skilled and competent workforce population to power the digital requirements in the post Covid-19 era. It is therefore pertinent for stakeholders (Government, Academia, and Professional bodies, Employers of labour etc.) to act promptly to equip their workforce with the necessary digital skills and capabilities for the job market and probable their social life. 14

15. It is strongly believed that strengthening digital skills in developing worlds will help in narrowing the global digital divide. Among the main reasons why people are not using the Internet in developing countries including Nigeria, is the lack of capacities and skills and not just availability[13]. It is projected that in Europe, nine out of every ten future jobs will require digital skills and in sub-Saharan Africa, over 200 million future jobs will require digital skills by the year 2030 thereby creating the need for almost 600 million training opportunities according to a 2019 study by International Finance Corporation (IFC) [ 13]. 15

16. TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which is a specialized agency of the United Nations, in charge of coordinating the development and approval of international communications standards, promoting of infrastructural development, managing of radio frequency spectrums, satellite orbits and providing a forum for countries to address policies and technical issues has a number of training outlets for people to improve their skills. Such outlets include but are not limited to: The ITU Academy which is the main e – learning platform for the UN Tech Agency. The Academy offers training courses in different areas of ICT related topics. The courses are delivered either by ITU directly or through one of its many training delivery partners called ITU Centres of Excellence ( CoE ). The courses cover areas in the latest digital technologies, policies and applications. The programme currently operates through 29 CoEs across different regions of the world [12]. 16

17. The ITU Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) . This is an initiative launched with Cisco in 2019. It aims to assist mainly underserved communities to strengthen their digital capacities. The DTCs form part of a global network of institutions aiming to accelerate digital tech startups to succeed in the digital economy. It has a number of training outlets for people to improve their skills. Such outlets include but are not limited to ITU “ Tech as a Driver of Women’s Economic Opportunity ” project which aims to enhance the digital skills for women in LDCs. The Project works with national policy makers to mainstream a gender prospective in domestic policies and ensure women can participate in the digital economy [12]. The ITU-ILO Digital Skills Campaign . This campaign by the ITU aims to equip 25 million young people with digital economy jobs skills by 2030. It encourages member nations to invest in digital skills development for her young people. It has a digital skills toolkit which enables national policy makers and other stakeholder’s to have practical information, examples and guidance to develop a national digital skills strategy. 17

18. Currently, there is a joint ITU and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) venture with the office of the UN Tech Envoy to create a Multi Stakeholder Network (MSN) for capacity development to ultimately align with global sustainable development. The ITU-UNDP joint facility for capacity development was launched in May 2021 to mobilize experts in areas such as digital literacy and skills training, digital needs assessment and programmatic support in order to improve the accessibility of digital opportunities [10]. The joint facility will identify areas where skills are lacking for digital capacity development initiatives and work with end-users to identify where existing services are not satisfying outstanding needs and provide direct strategic operational and programmatic support in executing digital economy strategies and capacity development initiatives for partners. Engineering graduates are expected to Google the sites of these Agencies to see how to tap into what they provide. 18

19. OPPORTUNITIES IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY ERA The International Labour Organization (ILO) has posited that ICT - related industries saw the highest employment growth during the Covid-19 pandemic [14] even though digital skills gap existed in both developed and developing economies before that, with different wage levels and job options for workers. Emerging and disruptive technology jobs which are driving the digital economy era can be found in the following sectors: 19

20. App Development Artificial Intelligence Fintech . Companies Embedded Systems 3 D Printing IoT Printed Circuit Board 20

21. DIGITAL ECONOMY AS AN ENABLER FOR NATIONAL GROWTH The emergence of digital economy has greatly impacted positively on any country’s economic and social life. Digital technologies now drive the ability to secure jobs, create businesses and innovate existing ones. Ability to grow the economy and compete globally depends on any nation’s ability to harness the transformative opportunities embedded in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Nigeria cannot be an exception. In the United States alone the digital economy has had a staggering impact on jobs and growth. In 2014, the U.S exported roughly U.S $400 billion in ICT–enabled delivery services, which accounted for more than 50% of US services export [14]. If properly harnessed in Nigeria with the abundant human resources in our disposal, digital economy can increase our GDP by more than 3 points annually and can add millions of new jobs. 21

22. The utilization of digital economy to create wealth is not a game of chance. It must come as a result of the ingenuity and inherent entrepreneurial doggedness of the people (you and I) . In fact, for digital economy to thrive and be sustained, Government must work with other stakeholders to create a legal, policy and diplomatic environment conducive for creativity, competition and investment. For instance, the US governments approach to developing global Internet policy is reflected in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Principles for Internet Policy Making [13]. The OECD principles supported a flexible, multistakeholder approach to Internet policy making and strengthen International Cooperation. Nigeria must go into such diplomatic relationships at the international level in order to create a vibrant and prosperous Internet and a broader world. At the domestic level, government must be guided by the rules of such relationships with other nations as a reference point in her approach to Internet policy development. 22

23. I therefore recommend that government should establish a core set of principles for policy making which should include: Open technical standards to allow for interoperability of digital technologies and services, so as to allow digital entrepreneurs to innovate more easily. Multistakeholder Internet Policy Making and Standards development in which all stakeholders will participate in open, transparent and consensus decision making process. International Engagement since Internet is global phenomenon. So that it can continue to serve as a source of economic growth and social development. Put in place a strong protection for intellectual property balanced with appropriate exceptions and limitations clauses such as “ fair use ” to encourage investment and content creation in the digital environment. 23

24. Ensure that user satisfaction is guaranteed by ensuring that they have the skills, education and access necessary to harness the benefits of digital technologies. I therefore recommend that government should establish a core set of principles for policy making which should include: Open technical standards to allow for interoperability of digital technologies and services, so as to allow digital entrepreneurs to innovate more easily. Multistakeholder Internet Policy Making and Standards development in which all stakeholders will participate in open, transparent and consensus decision making process. 24

25. International Engagement since Internet is global phenomenon. So that it can continue to serve as a source of economic growth and social development. Put in place a strong protection for intellectual property balanced with appropriate exceptions and limitations clauses such as “ fair use ” to encourage investment and content creation in the digital environment. Ensure that user satisfaction is guaranteed by ensuring that they have the skills, education and access necessary to harness the benefits of digital technologies. 25

26. EMBEDDED SYSTEM AS A CASE STUDY FOR DIGITAL ECONOMY GROWTH I have earlier listed the possible sectors that will drive the digital economy era were listed. Some are in the Service Infrastructure and some in the hardware infrastructure. Let me use the case of microelectronics and embedded systems to drive my point home. The core hardware infrastructure for digital economy is driven by electronics. Electronics today is essentially in the microelectronics domain. Many discrete systems are being replaced with monolithic technologies as CMOS (Complementary Metallic Oxide Semiconductor) technologies continue to miniaturize. Long term development of electronics in Nigeria will depend on how Nigeria as a country approaches these microelectronics technologies. The key approach will be to identify strategic technological problems to solve, probably in the areas of energy, medicine, telecommunication and food provision, and to have a strategy whereby some international foundries will fabricate chips for local designs. 26

27. Establishment of a Microelectronics and Embedded System Laboratory (MESL) will provide professional opportunities for engineers, scientists and students who are interested in the emerging and interdisplinary areas of neuromorphics , microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), telecommunication circuits and systems, information systems and control etc. to reach their potentials. The Laboratory can be implemented by the impressive group of experts in the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and it will become a Centre of Entrepreneurship and Technology creation for Nigeria. Figure 2 illustrates the typical input, output and benefits of such a laboratory towards the growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria [15]. 27

28. Microelectronics and Embedded Systems Areas covered by MESL DSP and Microprocessor Programming Embedded Systems Design with FGPA Synthesis and Modeling with VHDL and MatLab CMOS ASIC Design PCB Design   Stimulates SME growth, Create Employment and Reduce Poverty Capacity Building to solve specific problems in Transport Sector (Maintenance) Energy Sector (Solar) Health Sector (Neuromorphics Food Production Economic Benefits Output Input Figure 2: Typical Input, Output and Benefits of MESL 28

29. The input will involve knowledge in the following areas: Digital Signal Processing and Microprocessor Programming Embedded System Design with Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) CMOS Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Design Synthesis and Modeling with Very High Descriptive Language (VHDL) and MATLab TM The output will be the availability of the capacity to solve specific problems in: Transportation Sector Energy Sector Health Sector such as Neuromorphics Food Production and Preservation Etc. The economic benefits will be: Stimulation of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises growth. Creation of Employment. Reduction of Poverty. 29

30. CONCLUSIONS A well-structured engineering education curriculum is key to the successful training of graduates with advanced active digital skills. The NUC through the CCMAS fell short of this by emphasizing in the old pattern of having so many common core-engineering curriculums. COREN insistence that some courses which the CCMAS made optional is also not the best to say the least. Internet technologies evolve rapidly with new solutions springing up regularly to meet the needs of the society. To meet up with these solutions, new skills are required and so Engineering Education is expected to continue to evolve rapidly. These skills can be achieved by rigorous pursuit of STEM education on one hand and by acquiring intermediate skills on the other hand. 30

31. The number of citizens that acquire the new skills required to participate effectively in these new technologies will always be on the increase. If Engineers can fill in the openings so created, it will automatically lead to improved living standards and poverty reduction for graduate Engineers. This will in turn determine a new GDP growth trend in Nigeria. For job seekers and organizations to remain competitive in the digital economy era and ahead of time therefore, they must learn to adapt, change and innovate their services and business models as well as take full advantages of disruptive innovations and its associated skill sets. The flexibility and agility to do so will enable them adapt their services and create new revenue streams. Remember, “Falling out of step in the rush to Digital Economy race can leave one at a permanent disadvantage”. 31

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34. 7. M. C. Ndinechi and K. C. Okafor "STEM Education: A Tool for Sustainable National Capacity Building in a Digital Economy." 1 st International Conference "FUTO - CCE 2016" 16 th - 19 th May, 2016. http://www.researchgate.net/publication/303446506_STEM 8. A. M. Yabani , “Evolving Relevant Technological Programme for Nigerian Technological Institutions”. Yaba College of Technology at 40 Proceedings 1988. 9. M. A. Nwachukwu , “Emerging Engineering Education in Nigeria”. Proceedings of Engineering Education Africa Conference. Cote D’Ivoire, 1981. 10. M. C. Ndinechi , “Engineering Education: The Nigerian Perspective”. Proceedings of the Engineering Education Needs in Developing Countries Seminar, London, October 1995. 11. Https:// sustainabledevelopment.un.org 34

35. 12. K. Barefoot, D. Curtis, W. Jolliff , and R. Nicholson, Jessica R. Omohundro , “Defining and Measuring the Digital Economy,” 2018. [Online]. Available: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1081/ERC-200027380. 13. Vincenzo Spiezia , E. Koksal-Oudot , and P. Montagnier , “New skills for the Digital Economy: Measuring the demand for ICT skills at work.,” OECD Publishing, 2016. doi : 10.1787/5jlwnkm2fc9x-en. 14. “The future of work in the digital economy,” Int. Labour Organ. - 2020 Russ. Pres. BRICS , no. September, 2020, [Online]. Available: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---cabinet/documents/publication/wcms_771117.pdf. 15. M. C. Ndinechi , “Appropriate Roadmap for Electronics Development As A Tool for Nigeria to Achieve Vision 20 2020,” 2011. IEEE International Conference on Adaptive Science and Technology, (ICAST 2011) pp 38 – 41. 35