A United States of America-trained mechanical engineer, Bolaji Oladipo, has said that Nigeria is in urgent need of infrastructure renewal.
Using the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos as an example, Oladipo, who is currently a research associate in the US, advised that it could be rehabilitated without shutting it down completely. He said, “That bridge is one of the most important transportation channels in the country, judging by the volume of traffic on it every day. Although a complete shutdown of the bridge for a short period to carry out extensive rehabilitation would be a good option, deploying repair teams at the off-peak time/overnight to work on the bridge would be a better option. Allowing limited use of the bridge while it is undergoing rehabilitation would leave room for the sector of the economy that depends on the bridge network to continue to thrive.”
On how new developments in technology can be harnessed to improve the current mostly concrete structure, the engineer said, “The construction industry, which has been traditionally conservative in its implementation of new technology, needs to begin to have open minds to new and more efficient technologies. There are now advanced testing tools for technology validation. New technologies can first be implemented in less important structures for further field testing of their integrity before they are suggested to major structures.”
Oladipo added that the historic bridges in the country don’t just serve the purpose of commuting for the citizens, some of them are monumental to the locality that they are in, and bear memories that should be preserved.
Oladipo, who was recently inducted as a Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Professional Engineers and Scientists, stated that he considered it a ‘great honour’ to be inducted into the institution. He added, “By interacting with the leading professionals in research and the field, I will continue to promote the consideration of modern innovative technologies across the field of engineering and science.”
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