A professor of Design, Automation and Energy, Landmark University, Omu Aran, Kwara State, Christian Osueke, is seeking the adoption of automation as the major catalyst toward achieving national growth and development.
Osueke, of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, spoke yesterday while delivering the institution's 5th inaugural lecture.
He spoke on: "Divine Secrets: The Booster of Innovative Design and Automation".
The don said such adoption became necessary to reduce production cost and eliminate waste.
He defined automation as entailing the use of machines and material handling equipment to carry out manufacturing processes with high level of speed, consistency and precision beyond the capacity of human.
According to him, the continuous application of muscular efforts in form of hand pressure leads to fatigue, loss of concentration and inaccurate production.
Osueke said the world was in the era of innovative design and automation, soft and hardware usage, geared toward achieving enhanced productivity, adding that Nigeria should not be an exception.
He said: "Technology determines the level of the nation's security. Technology eradicates food insecurity. We are in the era of adaptive control, the era of innovative design and automation, the era of soft and hardware usage in enhancing productivity,"
The don said the country was in need of transformation and economic development, adding: "It is the local content technological revolution that can assist in achieving such desired transformation."
He said: "The nation cannot continue to depend on imported technology and food and expect it to be classified as a developed country. Rather, innovative design and automation are the answer to the technological revolution and self-sufficiency through the release of divine secrets."
Osueke, who bemoaned the nation's poor and inadequate energy regime, said such could be a hindrance toward achieving the desired technological breakthrough.
He noted that the imbalance between rate of energy supply and demand is responsible for the high cost of goods and services experienced across the country.
"Industries were forced to generate their power in the course of production, while homes are not left out in the energy demand," Osueke said.
"Almost all homes now have generators, despite the abundant supply of natural resources, such as coal, hydro, natural gas, crude oil, etc."
The don said government's efforts toward strengthening the private sector as engine of growth through improved efficiency and waste reduction could only be achieved by efficient electricity generation.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adeniyi Olayanju, reiterated the institution's commitment to upholding functional capacity as a means of driving solution to societal challenges.
He said the university prioritised spiritual core values, adding that such had earned it access to the divine secrets that had continued to define its operations and accomplishments.
"It is a great privilege to have a spiritual father, an exemplary leader and visionary of high repute as our Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo, whose support for quality education cannot be overemphasised," Olayanju said.
"This is evidenced in his immensurable investment in Landmark University, the conducive environment created for raising not only global leaders but also deserving professors from young academics," he concluded.
