The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company Limited (First E&P), has launched the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO), a national engineering competition designed to inspire young engineers to develop innovative, problem-solving projects that address societal needs.
Signed by Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, General Manager, Corporate Communications, NCDMB, the statement noted that the Olympiad is being championed by Enactus Nigeria, with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) serving as a key partner in delivering the initiative.
Explaining the concept, Country Director of Enactus Nigeria, Michael Ajayi, said the Olympiad will inspire final-year and postgraduate engineering students to envision and build a self-reliant Nigeria driven by knowledge, innovation, and collaboration. “The Nigerian Engineering Olympiad embodies our belief that innovation must be nurtured where it begins— in the minds of young engineers,” he said. He added that by connecting academic creativity with industry realities, the competition will transform knowledge into impact and ideas into enterprise.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the programme’s theme, “Inspiring Engineering Solutions,” aligns perfectly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Nigeria First” policy. He highlighted that despite Nigeria’s large population and potential, the engineering sector continues to grapple with critical skills shortages, noting that only a small percentage of engineering graduates are industry-ready upon graduation. This gap, he warned, fuels over-reliance on expatriates and accelerates brain drain.
Represented by the Director of Capacity Building, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, the NCDMB boss emphasised that the Olympiad complements the Board’s human capacity development initiatives, which have trained young Nigerians in petroleum engineering, digital technology, robotics, and other advanced fields. “Our goal is to institutionalise an annual national platform that identifies, nurtures, and supports exceptional engineering talent while connecting participants to industry mentorship and commercialisation pathways,” he said.
He added that the Board is equally committed to strengthening entrepreneurial and leadership skills to enable young engineers to thrive in the workforce or launch technology-driven enterprises.
The Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande, represented by Ms. Ebiho Agun, described the creativity and ingenuity of Nigerian youth as one of the country’s greatest assets in a world increasingly driven by innovation and problem-solving. She noted that the Olympiad provides a vital platform for young Nigerians to expand their imagination, deepen technical expertise, and showcase excellence locally and internationally.
Addressing participants as “the heartbeat of Nigeria’s future,” she urged them to see the competition as an opportunity for learning, discovery, and career advancement, reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to expanding programmes that foster youth creativity and mentorship.
Also speaking, the General Manager, Integrated Gas at First E&P, Engr. Yetunde Taiwo, said the company’s participation reflects its core values of nurturing talent, innovation, and entrepreneurship. While the company has long supported education at the secondary-school level, she explained that the Olympiad offers a unique opportunity to engage university-level engineering students and expose them to real-world industry challenges. She expressed concern over the growing brain drain, noting that many graduates emigrate due to limited opportunities to apply their skills locally. Taiwo stressed that initiatives like NEO, supported by strong government-industry collaboration, can create sustainable career opportunities and help retain talent within Nigeria.
Similarly, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, represented by Engr. Amino Hamisu, hailed the Olympiad as a landmark step toward strengthening engineering excellence and advancing national technological development.
In her keynote address, President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Margaret Aina Ogunsola, described the initiative as a “watershed moment” in bridging the longstanding gap between academia and industry. She said the Olympiad serves as a national innovation incubator that will transform final-year engineering projects into commercially viable products through structured mentorship, prototype development, and intellectual property support. She confirmed that the NSE will provide expert guidance to ensure students’ innovations meet global standards.
—
How the Olympiad Will Operate
Applications opened on 20 November 2025 and will close on 11 January 2026.
Screening Level 1 – Intra-School Competition Each school will produce one winning team after internal assessment and concept submissions.
Selected teams will receive technical mentorship and access to development resources to refine their ideas into prototypes.
Screening Level 2 – Regional Inter-School Contests Five teams will qualify per region, each showcasing innovations aligned with national developmental priorities.
A total of 30 teams (five from each of the six geopolitical zones) will proceed to a mentorship and prototyping phase with funding and technical support to develop their Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).
Screening Level 3 – Semi-Finals Twelve teams—two per region—will advance to an intensive mentorship and business development boot camp leading to prototype refinement.
Screening Level 4 – National Grand Finale The Olympiad will culminate on 11 April 2026, where four winning teams will emerge as top national innovators.
Teams can register via the official portal: www.neo.org.ng
.