By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Nigerian engineers have been urged to step out of boardrooms and construction sites and face the people directly, as the Renewed Hope Engineers announced plans to deploy its professional network across the country’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The National Coordinator of the group, Engr. (Dr.) Atinuke Wuraola Owolabi, made the call in an Independence Day statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday, 30 September, 2026.
She said the aim is to deepen grassroots engagement and communicate the achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Owolabi said the group would take an active part in grassroots engagement in the run-up to the polls.
She added that its participation would be driven by its professional identity and its focus on development issues, rather than by political rhetoric.
“We will use our engineering network to communicate documented developments, engage communities, promote civic participation, showcase opportunities for young Nigerians and encourage constructive conversations about Nigeria’s future,” she said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the Presidential and National Assembly elections for Jan. 16, while the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are to hold on Feb. 6.
According to the coordinator, the group would connect engineers, professionals, community leaders and young Nigerians in all 774 LGAs to discuss local development priorities.
The initiative would also encourage engineers to identify practical challenges in their communities and offer professional input towards appropriate solutions.
She said the group would further help communities understand relevant government programmes, opportunities and infrastructure initiatives, and how they could benefit from them.
Owolabi commended Tinubu for what she described as his administration’s commitment to economic reforms, infrastructure development and human capital investment.
She said the administration’s infrastructure programme covers more than 2,700 kilometres of highways and major roads under construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation.
In his May 2026 third-anniversary statement, the President said the projects included the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road and the East-West Road, among others.
Engineers, she said, have a responsibility to help Nigerians understand how such projects and other government interventions affect their communities.
To that end, the group would document infrastructure projects, highlight successful interventions and provide constructive professional input where improvements were needed.
“We will not only talk about development. We will take development conversations to the people.
“We will not only celebrate infrastructure. We will encourage engineers to help communities understand, monitor and sustain development,” she said.
Owolabi said engineers should listen to the people, identify problems, provide solutions, mentor young people and support innovation.
She added that the group would promote opportunities in artificial intelligence, robotics, data science, digital manufacturing, renewable energy, drone technology and other emerging fields among young Nigerians.
The Coordinator described the initiative as consistent with the Tinubu administration’s broader emphasis on grassroots development.
The Federal Government has said its Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme is designed to promote a bottom-up approach to development and expand economic opportunities at ward level.
Owolabi said the group’s commitment was to contribute to nation building by taking engineering skills, development information and opportunities closer to Nigerians at the grassroots.
