Professor Francisca Oladipo, Vice‑Chancellor of [Thomas Adewumi University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Adewumi_University) (TAU), addressed the Academic Session for Russian and African Rectors in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday, urging that engineering training become the cornerstone of Africa‑Russia cooperation in the minerals sector.
She noted that the gathering formed part of the Second Russia‑Africa Raw Materials Dialogue and emphasized that the development of engineers should remain the centre of collaborative efforts, stating, "Training of engineers should remain the centre of cooperation in the minerals sector."
Oladipo presented a paper titled “From Ore to Engineer: Nigeria’s Engineering Education System and the Partnership it Invites.” In it she cited that 122 of Nigeria’s 328 universities now provide accredited engineering programmes, with 52 institutions achieving Outcome‑Based Education accreditation, and that the national register lists 101,393 engineering practitioners.
She pointed out that Nigeria became a provisional signatory to the [Washington Accord](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Accord) in 2023, while Russia has been a full signatory since 2012, giving both countries a shared accreditation language that can support joint degrees, credit transfers and mutual recognition of qualifications.
Oladipo warned of a widening gap between the supply of engineering professionals and national demand, especially among technicians and technologists, at a time when Nigeria’s value‑addition policy is pushing lithium processing and steel production domestically.
Recalling that the [Ajaokuta Steel Company](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajaokuta_Steel_Company) was built with Soviet partners in 1979, she remarked, "Infrastructure can be imported, but capability must be grown. Africa’s minerals will be processed somewhere. The question is who will be trained to do it."
She proposed a joint partnership between Russian and African universities for postgraduate training in minerals processing and metallurgy, and called for intelligent mining built on trusted African‑owned data, alongside stronger pathways for technicians and technologists.
**Why focus on engineering?**
Engineering expertise underpins the entire minerals value chain, from extraction to processing, and ensures that African resources are transformed locally rather than exported as raw ore.
**What is the current state of engineering education in Nigeria?**
With over a hundred universities offering accredited programmes and a growing register of practitioners, Nigeria is expanding its capacity but still faces shortages in skilled technicians.
**How can Russia and Africa collaborate?**
Shared accreditation frameworks, joint postgraduate programmes, and data‑driven mining initiatives can bridge skill gaps and foster sustainable industrial development across the continent.