20/04/2026
I came across this post on Engr Emmanuel Thankgod's page.
He is absolutely right about the imbalance, but the conclusion needs a bit more precision.
Most engineers are not underpaid, they are under-positioned.
You can spend 5 years in school, master design, understand site ex*****on, handle complex projects and still earn less than someone who closes one deal in a week.
It's painful but real.
The problem is not engineering.
The problem is where engineers stand in the value chain.
Right now, most engineers operate like this 👇:
Ex*****on. Delivery. Supervision.
But the real money sits here👇:
Decisions. Deals. Ownership.
That’s the gap.
So what’s the way forward?
• Stop staying only on site, get involved in project planning and feasibility
• Understand money, costing, pricing, and profit margins
• Negotiate value, don’t just accept fixed salaries(Push for bonuses tied to cost savings,
Incentives for early delivery,
Rewards for zero rework / quality benchmarks. If you save a project ₦5m to ₦15m, earning only salary is a poor deal)
• Explore partnerships, even small equity can change your life
• Build visibility, let people know what you do, what you bring to the table.
• Think like an owner, not just an employee
Because the truth is
If you’re not connected to revenue,
you’ll always be treated like a cost.
And costs are controlled, not rewarded.
The future belongs to engineers who don’t just build projects but understand how projects make money.
It’s time to move from the ex*****on table
to the decision table.
