Dear Distinguished Members of ASCE Nigeria Section,
Happy New Year!
As we step into 2025, I extend my warmest greetings to you and your families. The beginning of a new year provides a moment to reflect on our shared achievements and challenges, and to look forward with hope and determination. 2024 was a remarkable year for us as a Section. Through your support, dedication, and partnership, we accomplished milestones that advanced our mission to strengthen the civil engineering profession in Nigeria. Let me highlight a few of our achievements from the past year:
- Enhanced Engagement and Activities:
- We successfully conducted quarterly Board of Direction and Quarterly meetings, which provided platforms for collaboration, growth, and strategic planning.
- Our courtesy visits to the Honorable Ministers of State for Environment and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources underscored our commitment to engaging stakeholders and promoting sustainable development initiatives.
ASCE Nigeria Section Quarterly Meeting
2. Technical and Industrial Knowledge Sharing:
- Members participated in impactful technical visits to engineering landmarks, such as the Third Mainland Bridge repairs, The Ark Legacy Project at Ota, Tank Farm and Mini-Refinery Project, and the Technical Train Ride to the Nigerian Railway Corporation along the Lagos-Ibadan Corridor.
- Quarterly technical presentations by seasoned professionals covered topics such as sustainable road infrastructure, offshore construction, and climate resilience, to ensure that our members stayed informed and inspired.
3. Professional Development:
- Members attended training workshops organized by affiliates like NIStructE, which covered advanced topics such as prestressed concrete, Eurocode-2 compliance, and structural steelwork design.
- The ASCE Day celebration and participation in affiliate conferences provided opportunities for learning, networking, and collaboration.
- Nigerian delegates attended the ASCE 2024 Convention in Tampa, which was later canceled.
4. The 2024 ASCE Nigeria International Resilient Infrastructure Conference:
- This flagship event brought together over 250 participants, focusing on Building Climate-Resilient Infrastructure in Nigeria: Key Challenges and Opportunities. It featured insightful keynote speeches, panel discussions, and young member session.
5. Student Outreach and Young Member Development:
- Outreach programs engaged students and young professionals through competitions, mentoring, and active participation in section activities.
Our robust presence on social media and the section’s website ensured continuous engagement and visibility.
A Call to Greater Involvement in 2025
While we celebrate these achievements, we must recognize that they are the result of contributions from a core group of committed members. To those who have yet to engage actively in the Section's activities, this is your moment to step forward.
ASCE Nigeria Section belongs to all of us, and the realization of our goals depends on the collective effort of every member. Whether through volunteering, attending meetings, contributing to discussions, or mentoring young professionals, your participation is invaluable.
The leadership is here to guide and support, but we cannot do it alone. Together, we can amplify our impact and create a legacy of excellence in civil engineering. I encourage you to join us in 2025 as we strive to achieve more, some of which include:
- Expansion of student chapters and mentoring programs.
- Improved welfare for members and greater international exposure for young engineers.
- Establishment of the ASCE Foundation for Nigeria to support our programs and initiatives.
- The hosting of the ASCE global leaders in Nigeria and further strengthening our international ties.
- Increased opportunities for technical and professional development through workshops, competitions, and events.
Dear colleagues, as we embrace the opportunities of 2025, let us remember that our strength lies in unity and shared commitment. I urge every member to reflect on the impact you can make within the Section and beyond. Your ideas, expertise, and participation are essential to advancing our mission and leaving a lasting mark on the profession.
Let us resolve to do more, be more, and achieve more together. On behalf of the leadership of the ASCE Nigeria Section, I thank you for your dedication and support. I look forward to a year filled with innovation, collaboration, and progress.
May 2025 bring prosperity, good health, and success to us all.
Engr. Austin Odibi, MASCE
President, ASCE Nigeria Section