Automation
By Yinusa Ishola
Omu-Aran (Kwara), April 27, 2018 (NAN) A design and automation expert, Prof. Christian Osueke, has called for adoption of automation as a major catalyst for national development through elimination of wastage and reduction in production costs.
Osueke, of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, made the call while delivering the institution’s 5th Inaugural Lecture.
The Professor of Design, Automation and Energy spoke on: “Divine Secrets: The Booster of Innovative Design and Automation”.
He said that automation adoption would reduce production costs and eliminate wastage.
According to him, continuous application of muscular efforts in form of hand pressure leads to fatigue, loss of concentration and inaccurate production.
Osueke defined automation as involving the use of machines and material handling equipment to carryout manufacturing processes with speed, consistency and precision beyond human capacity.
According to the don, the world is in an era of innovative design and automation, and soft and hardware usage toward enhanced productivity.
Osueke said that there was the need for Nigeria to align with global technological trend in order to achieve a developed economy.
“Technology determines the level of nations 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.
“It is the local content technological revolution that can assist in achieving our desired transformation,” he said.
Osueke, who decried inadequate energy in the country, said that it could hinder achievement of technological breakthrough.
He said that the imbalance between rates of energy supply and demand was responsible for the high cost of goods and services.
“Industries are being forced to generate their own power in the course of production while residential homes are not left out in the energy demand.
“Almost all Nigerian homes now have standby generating sets, despite the abundant supply of natural resources such as coal, hydro, natural gas, crude oil,” he said
He suggested building of more power stations so as to meet the estimated power demand of 297,900MW by 2030.
In his remarks, Prof. Adeniyi Olayanju, the institution’s Vice Chancellor, reiterated the university’s commitment to upholding functional capacity as a means of driving solution to societal challenges.
He said that the institution attached priority to spiritual core values, saying that it gsve the university access to 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, Dr David Oyedepo, as our Chancellor.
“His support for quality education cannot be overemphasised.
“This is demonstrated in his immensurable investment in Landmark University, the conducive environment created for raising not only global leaders but also deserving professors from young academics. (NAN)
ISHO/IGO
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Edited by Ijeoma Popoola