To address the growing technical skills gap among Nigerian engineering graduates, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in collaboration with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has launched the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO), a transformative initiative designed to nurture innovation and produce industry-ready professionals.

The Olympiad, officially unveiled in Abuja, seeks to inspire engineering creativity while equipping participants with practical skills aligned with the demands of Nigeria’s modern economy.

Speaking at the launch, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Executive Secretary of NCDMB, highlighted the urgent need to bridge the gap between theoretical education and practical skills among engineering graduates.

“A 2023 industry survey revealed that only 5% of engineering graduates are industry-ready upon graduation, while over 70% lack the hands-on technical abilities needed in high-tech and emerging fields,” Ogbe said. “This shortfall fuels reliance on expatriates and contributes to the brain drain of talented Nigerian engineers seeking opportunities abroad.”

The Olympiad forms part of NCDMB’s broader human capacity development agenda, aiming to institutionalize an annual, competitive platform that identifies exceptional engineering talent and links participants with industry mentorship and commercialisation opportunities. Ogbe stressed the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, government, and technology institutions to translate research into practical solutions addressing Nigeria’s energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, and sustainability challenges.

Spanning ten months, the Olympiad will progress through regional contests, mentorship phases, prototype bootcamps, and culminate in a grand finale in April 2026. Winners will receive recognition, seed funding, and technical guidance to transform their prototypes into viable, market-ready solutions, fostering entrepreneurship and homegrown technology development.

Supporting the initiative, Engr. Margaret Oguntala, NSE President, emphasized the Olympiad’s role in bridging the gap between academia and industry:

“Many intelligent inventions by Nigerian students remain uncommercialized, gathering dust instead of contributing to economic growth. The NEO provides a structured path for innovations to advance beyond universities, focusing on financial viability, prototype refinement, product validation, and intellectual property protection.”

The NSE will provide mentorship through its pool of experienced engineers, guiding participants across all competition stages.

The collaboration also involves key stakeholders such as First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company, Renaissance African Energy Company, and Enactus Nigeria, reflecting a shared commitment to positioning Nigeria as a hub for engineering innovation capable of delivering sustainable, indigenous solutions to national and global challenges.

The Nigerian Engineering Olympiad represents a critical step toward enhancing industry readiness, promoting applied learning, and fostering technological innovation to drive Nigeria’s industrialization and economic growth.