Olubusuyi Adenipekun
1 January 2009
The on-going efforts at instilling in Nigerian students skills and competencies relevant to the economic and technological development of the country received a big boost with the donation of N5 million worth Auto-card Computer Assisted Design and Drafting equipment (CADD) to Yaba College of Technology by Chevron Nigeria Limited last Monday.
The gesture by the oil company has given the students of building engineering of Yabatech a state-of-the art drawing studio, furnished and equipped with 21 computers and accessories with software facility mainly for engineering drawing.
The equipment is aimed at improving the institution's capacity to teach engineering designs and drafting to the students.
According to Mr. Fred Nelson, Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron, the CADD equipment can be used to aid in the design and the drafting (technical drawing and engineering drawing) of a part or product, including entire buildings, adding that it is both a visual and symbol-based method of communication whose conventions are particular to a specific technical field.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony of the world class technology, Nelson, who was represented by Engr. Benjamin Omokwale explains further the value of the equipment.
"CADD is used in the design of tools and machinery for the manufacturing of components, and in the drafting and design of all types of buildings, from small residential houses to the largest commercial and industrial structures".
According to Nelson, the equipment donated to Yabatech are useful not only to students but to: design professionals who create technical drawings and have no need for automation of repetitive design steps or additional functionality provided by third-party applications; drafters who put the finishing touches on a design with detailing, annotations, links to online data and vertification of accuracy; contractors, suppliers or operational professionals who need to review a drawing to extrapolate data specific to their businesses as well as principals and project leaders who need to review and edit a drawing and monitor progress.
The compuiterized drawing studio is important to engineering students of the first tertiary institution in Nigeria as it will, to a large extent, bridge the gap between labour competence and industry requirement in a technologically dynamic and competitive world.
Education stakeholders were effusive in commending Chevron for the largesse. According to the Group General Manager of NAPIMS, Dr. Mohammed Baru, Chevron by the gesture "is demonstrating its commitment to the development of the Nigerian youth through capacity building in the country's educational institutions.
She says: "The handing over of Auto-card software (CADD) equipment as well as personal computers to the institution is another initiative that demonstrates Chevron's passion to improving the quality of education in Nigeria over the years, Chevron has continued to demonstrate strong commitment to the development of education in this country. The company has contributed enormously to the emergence of capable professionals across all sectors due to its support of education in all fields, from engineering to science education."
She urged the students to take advantage of the facility, adding that they are lucky as many of their colleagues lack access to the essential tools and technology of their trade.
The moves to get Chevron's assistance in setting up a computerized drawing studio for the institution's School of Engineering began in 2006 when the school reached out to the company for the purpose of enhancing the standard of teaching and learning along contemporary trends. The college on its part provided structural rehabilitation of the studio as well as electrical networking to demonstrate its commitment to the project.
The college, which was established in October, 1947 has a long history of assistance from the corporate world. Infact, the 4-storey engineering block which was commissioned in 1963 was donated by Shell-BP at a cost of over $500,000, with the present value of the building estimated in excess of N500 million.
It is this kind of partnership from Chevron that the management of the College crave for.
According to the college's rector, Mr Olubunmi Owoso, who was represented by Engr. Benjamin Omokwale, more assistance is still being expected from Chevron. He says: "It is hoped that Chevron will go a step further by providing the relevant training for our lecturers on the use of Auto-card and other software for engineering design to enable this project achieve its full potential.
I hope that this project will herald the beginning of a collaborative partnership between the college and Chevron. Indeed, I look forward to a future in which graduates of this great college will find ready and useful employment at Chevron."
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