Engineers across Nigeria have been urged to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a strategic tool for enhancing productivity and professional performance.
The call was made during the 2nd and 3rd Engr. Augustine Ikebude Okolo Memorial Lecture held in Kaduna on Friday.
The lecture was jointly hosted by the Automotive and Locomotive Engineers’ Institute (AutoEI), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Kaduna Branch, and the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), Kaduna Chapter.
The event drew senior engineers, fellows, and industry practitioners from across Kaduna State and beyond, including the Presidents of the NSE and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), among other dignitaries.
Delivering a keynote lecture titled “Rethinking Productivity, Performance, and Professional Impact in the Age of AI,” the founder of AI Mastery Academy, Gabriel Gambo-Nmadu, said the call had become imperative given the growing relevance of AI to the engineering profession.
He highlighted a shift in professional success metrics in the age of AI, noting that his presentation challenged the traditional notion that busyness equates to productivity.
Nmadu introduced a “new productivity equation,” which he explained measures output as a function of skill combined with AI leverage, divided by time.
The founder stressed that professionals who effectively integrate AI tools into their work would achieve faster and higher-quality results.
He also unveiled the concept of a “personal AI productivity stack,” encompassing writing and communication, research and analysis, visuals and presentations, as well as coding and automation.
According to him, high performers in today’s engineering landscape are distinguished not by how hard they work, but by how strategically they deploy AI as a co-pilot.
While advocating widespread AI adoption, Nmadu reassured participants that human capabilities remain essential.
The lecture also featured live demonstrations showing practical ways to incorporate AI tools into conventional engineering workflows.
He advised professionals to demonstrate AI competence through updated profiles, AI-driven content creation, and structured training programmes.
Nmadu concluded with a striking reminder: “AI will not replace you. But a professional who uses AI will replace you. The question is not whether to adopt AI, but how fast.”
The memorial lecture forms part of ongoing initiatives by engineering bodies to promote continuous learning and ensure Nigerian engineers remain competitive in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
