ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AS THE INCOMING 18TH PRESIDENT OF ACEN

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH OF ENGR. G. C. OKOROMA AS THE IN COMING 18TH PRESIDENT OF ACEN – THE ASSOCIATION FOR CONSULTING ENGINEERING IN NIGERIA DELIVERED ON TUESDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2019 AT THE ACEN SECRETARIAT, IKEJA, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA.

The Immediate Past President,

Members of Council & Exco,

It is an honour and a thing of great joy for me to be here today to accept the position of President of the Association of Consulting Engineering in Nigeria; an association with a proud past and an exciting future.

As I refer to the proud past of our association, I wish to very kindly acknowledge the achievements of our outgoing President, Engr. Charles Akinyele Akindayomi, FNSE.

Since he took on the mantle of leadership from Engr. Suleiman Hussein Adamu, FNSE, FAEng, Engr. Charles has led this association to a new pedestal of becoming the ultimate reference point for government and corporate organizations in providing professional engineering consultancy services in Nigeria.

Engr. Charles’ leadership of this association was steady, assured and pragmatic but most of all, it had a clear vision for the changes that ACEN needed. 

Some of the legacies of Engr. Charles’ leadership that we are enjoying today is that ACEN now has a seat in the Executive Council of COREN and a stronger relationship in the comity of engineers in the international ecosystem.

Engr. Charles, we thank you for your wise leadership and for the excellent example you have forever set for us here. You have been an amazing brother and Boss and a leader per excellence. As you progress on in life and in your service to the association and Nigeria as a whole, on behalf of everyone us in ACEN, we wish you good luck and a happy ever after.

Now, to the future.

Over the next two years, we will continue to build on our strengths, but also take on new directions. We will continue our programs that strengthens our professionalism; through innovative and ideal-focused advocacy initiatives, training and education; by ensuring that the highest level of technical competence and business ethics are brought to bear on the practice of the profession in Nigeria. 

We will fortify our commitment to solidarity, ensuring that our members that are less resourced can have more opportunities and assistance to take on projects and also ensure that stakeholders in the built environment get maximum value for their investments by monitoring standards of practice within the industry.

As an administration, we have a strategic priority to position ACEN as the “go-to” association and the voice of the consulting profession in Nigeria by creating competitive advantage through increased visibility with strategic partners within and outside Nigeria.

It is my goal that at the end of my tenure, I will handover an ACEN that is better, richer and fuller to the next administration.

I wish to thank members of council and members of the executive committee, both old and new for seeing me fit to lead this association to the summit of greatness.

I know so well that it is not going to be an easy task; but with your unreserved support and goodwill, this administration shall be a successful one and together, we shall make ACEN the envy of the world.

God bless ACEN.

God bless you.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.