Engineers Without Borders elects first Nigerian as Board member

A Nigerian Mechanical Engineer and Engineering educator, Dr Robinson I. Ejilah, has been elected as the newest member of the Board of Directors for Engineers Without Borders/ Ingeneiurs Sans Frontiers – International (EWB/ISF-I).

 This appointment makes Dr. Ejilah the first Nigerian to so serve on the EWB/ISF –I Board for a three-year term.

Engineers Without Borders is an international solidarity organization for engineering and technology and has its international headquarters in Denver, Colorado, USA. It is made up of national groups of engineers and engineering students.

These groups work on engineering projects throughout the world to assist disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of life. EWB/ISF -I focus on both education and the implementation of sustainable engineering projects at the grassroots level while maintaining a very strong international presence.

The EWB/ISF -International global network comprises 66 EWB national member’s associations, with a reach that extends through over 103 countries, and a volunteering strength of over 41800. As part of the organization’s mandate, the Chapters partner yearly with communities worldwide to develop sustainable engineering solutions to critical issues confronting humanity.

In his response to the announcement, Dr. Ejilah has expressed his gratitude to the EWB/ISF -I leadership for the wonderful service opportunity and had pledged to provide his voluntary and professional service experience to assist in achieving the intended vision of ‘engineering or ‘reengineering’ a sustainable world for the good of humanity and the environment, as he looks forward to working with other board members in the coming weeks, and months.

Dr Robinson Ejilah is an academic with the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria, and hails from Umogidi, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

He served as the 13th National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and has always been very passionate about promoting; international collaboration and partnerships, inclusivity, research and innovation activities, and mechanical engineering skills training and advocacy.

 He had volunteered his professional engineering services in several projects for the professional, youth, and gender development under the *remit of;* Royal Academy of Engineering- UK, Institution of Mechanical Engineers- UK, Academics Without Borders- Canada; Engineers Without Borders-Nigeria; EU Directorate of Climate Action; Nenis Foundation-RISE Up, California-APWEN gender project, and the Nigerian Engineering Community.

He is on the Board of Nenis Foundation-Nigeria, and currently serving as a non-stipendiary Diversity and Inclusion Officer. He is an APWEN-SHEngineer-Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador, an EU Climate Pact Ambassador; a Climate Reality Leader, and a Global Environmental and Climate Conservation Initiative (GECCI) Ambassador, and Project manager.

He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers; a COREN-Registered Engineer, and a Chartered Engineer of the Engineering Council, UK.; a member, Institution of Mechanical Engineer, UK, and member, Nigerian Society of Engineers, to list but a few.

Prior to his election, Dr Ejilah, Chairs and plays an advisory role in AVM-AUTOLADY Autogas Technology Education and Research Board-  a private sector-driven initiative to provide solutions and build critical technical capacities in autogas conversion technology as an automobile value chain activity created by the Nigerian Gas Expansion Programme.

The EWB/ISF-I Board is responsible for the oversight and operations of EWB. It is tasked with monitoring the progress of projects and approving budgets and applications from new members. The Board is made up of nine directors voted for by the active member groups and an additional two directors appointed by the Board.

With Boris Martin CEO, EWB Canada as the incoming EWB/ISF -I President, Dr Ejilah will be joining the Board with; Clare Haas Claveau, EWB -USA, Jenny Munday, EWB -the UK and Sanjiv Indran, EWB -Malaysia.  The Board will commence its official assignment on January 1, 2022.

For a better society