By Tare Youdeowei

Young engineers who desire to become entrepreneurs have been told that all they need to be successful as entrepreneurs is a mindset for success.

Gabriel Ogbechie, an engineer and Chief Executive Officer, Rainoil Nigeria Limited, who dropped the hint while speaking as guest speaker at the Annual Public Lecture, Awards and Induction ceremony of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, in Lagos last week, added that the mindset for success involves having a vision, drive, passion, discipline, dedication and value for customers.

Rainoil boss who spoke on the topic: From Engineering to Entrepreneurship, The Rainoil Story, told the 77 young engineers being inducted that “What you need to be an entrepreneur and be successful as one, is a mindset for success. This involves having a vision, drive, passion, discipline, dedication and value for customers. Don’t give up at the first hurdle or subsequent hurdles.

“Acquire skills, be a problem solver, deliver value for money, keep abreast of industry trends by reading newspapers and industry magazines daily. As a professional in business, have a minimum standard for quality delivery so that you would only attract businesses of repute.”

Corroborating that engineers can also be successful entrepreneurs, Chairman, NSE Lagos Branch,  Johnson Akinwande, an engineer, said; “I have come to realise that one of our greatest tragedies as black people is that we are not in business. As such, this topic was specially chosen to emphasise the fact that engineers can also be successful as entrepreneurs.

“We engineers are seriously concerned about the hopelessness of our youths especially young engineers. They are losing hope in themselves and in our country, hence the lecturer was chosen because he is one of us and has experienced all and has succeeded.

“We are trying to create engineers with a plus. We are trying to steer their minds from crossing the Mediterranean. We are trying to propel them to being business-minded as opposed to focusing on job hunting. We are trying to re-orientate them to becoming solution providers,” Akinwande said.