The Federal University of Oye, Ekiti has honoured the founder and editor of Motoring World International, Femi Owoeye for his contributions to the engineering field in Nigeria through the media.
Owoeye received the award as a special guest at the 2025 induction of Graduate Engineers and 5th Professor Chinedu Nebo Faculty Lecture held recently at the Faculty of Engineering hall, Federal University Oye Ekiti.
Presenting the award, the institutions Dean of Engineering Faculty, Engineer Prof. O. Akinsanmi, extolled Owoeyes efforts in promoting the automobile engineering field and filling the yawning void in the reportage of the automobile industry in Nigeria.
Through Motoring World International, a publication he founded close to three decades ago, he stated, Owoeye has not only promoted the growth of the industry through his articles published in Motoring World International and other motoring media, he has consistently advocated for developmental policy aimed at accelerating the growth of the auto industry.
It is, therefore, in appreciation of your contributions to the automotive engineering field via the motoring media that you are hereby presented this award of appreciation.
On his part, addressing the graduate engineers on a lecture titled: “Engineering Entrepreneurship: A Partway to Economic Independence for Nigerian Youth, Owoeye counseled engineering graduates to embrace entrepreneurship, stating that the future belongs to those, who can create solutions and turn them to thriving opportunities.
The world, Owoeye pointed out, has reached a point at which youths do not have to wait for government or traditional employment opportunities.“
He stressed that engineering entrepreneurship is not just about creating business but also about solving problems, creating jobs and contributing to national development.
According to Owoeye, mass embrace of engineering entrepreneurship by the nations graduate engineers remains a key to bridging the unemployment gap, driving technological innovation, boosting national economic growth and leveraging the digital economy.
On steps towards becoming an engineering entrepreneur, Owoeye advised graduate engineers to take a number of steps, including developing problem solving mindset, acquisition of business and leadership skills, leveraging technology and innovations and building strategic networks and partnerships, among others.
He, therefore, admonished engineers to start thinking outside the box and identify societal problems that require engineering-related solution.
Owoeye maintained that the world has gone beyond acquiring certificate mainly for employment.
He stated: Far more than developed nations, which have reached their crest of advancement, developing countries, including Nigeria are havens of opportunities for engineering entrepreneurs.
“In the nations growing automobile industry, for instance, there are opportunities for automation, production of automobile local contents, local production of CNG conversion kits, local production of Electric vehicle batteries as well as alternative energy for the running of commercial vehicles. Imagine innovating automatic solar charge for a commercial vehicle or tricycle, enabling running such vehicles without the need to buy petrol, diesel or even CNG.
In the agriculture sector, there has been this problem of destruction of farmlands by herds of cows. It has been proven that cows are put off by high pitch noise or alarm. An opportunity is, therefore, on hand for an engineering entrepreneur to innovate a devise equipped with a sensor that could, from a distance, sense a cow or other animals and scare them away with a high pitch alarm.
To all aspiring engineering entrepreneurs, therefore, the time to act is now. Nigeria needs your creativity, intelligence, and resilience to build the industries of tomorrow.
FUOYEs Induction of Graduate Engineers is organized annually by the Universitys Convocation Ceremony Committee in conjunction with the Council of the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
