The Ibeju-Lekki branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) hosted a monthly general meeting.

In a statement on Friday, Itua Eugene, the CEO/Executive Director of Natural Eco Capital and the Africa Green Economy and Sustainability Institute, described the meeting as a “defining moment for Nigeria’s infrastructure future”.

Addressing a full hall at the Ibeju-Lekki local government secretariat, Mr Itua spoke on the new frontier of engineering leadership in national development, the statement noted.

Mr Itua challenged what was described as “the longstanding C³ mindset” (contractor, contract and construction). According to him, it is inadequate for a nation grappling with a 20 million housing deficit and trillions of naira in annual losses from infrastructure decay.

Hosted by Olufemi Dare, the chairman of the Ibeju-Lekki branch, the session introduced a doctrine of ‘Engineering Beyond Function’.

The AGESI boss, in place of the C³ mindset, introduced the ‘FIPRE Framework’, which is considered a proprietary engineering and economic model designed to shift the profession from delivering outputs to delivering sustainable outcomes.

“Function is merely the starting point, not the finish line,” Itua explained. “Every challenge Nigeria faces today is, at its core, an engineering challenge. We must evolve from executors of tasks to economic architects of a resilient, climate-ready nation.”

The FIPRE Doctrine stands for “Function—technical excellence and operational reliability. Impact—social and environmental value creation, aligned with the global ESG market, now exceeding $35 trillion. Profit—lifecycle cost reduction and bankability, supported by the FIPRE Scorecard. Resilience—climate-ready design able to withstand 50-year ‘Black Swan’ events. Equity—distributional justice and inclusive development that ensures infrastructure benefits all Nigerians. The doctrine was presented not as an added burden, but as a new business model for national prosperity”.

The meeting doubled as a real-time diagnostic exercise. Interactive polling among the 40 participating professionals revealed urgent insights into the Ibeju-Lekki corridor, the statement added.

Among critical vulnerabilities, coastal erosion and flooding were identified. These are the most severe threats to road durability and community stability, according to the statement.

Per the value gap, 100 per cent of participants rejected the idea that “function-only” engineering is sufficient for Nigeria’s future, it noted. In the case of barriers to progress, corruption, unethical practices, and bureaucratic bottlenecks were cited as the top obstacles to sustainable infrastructure delivery.

Meanwhile, regarding readiness for change, the statement disclosed that 73 per cent expressed a willingness to pursue formal FIPRE Certification, signalling a nationwide appetite for professional retraining.

In a closing ‘FIPRE Pledge’, Mr Itua called for the institutionalisation of the framework through COREN, the NSE, and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). He restated that Nigeria’s transformation must be engineered by Nigerians, equipped with the right tools, mindset, and governance standards.