The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) has called on government at federal and state level to prioritise addressing energy crisis that has plagued the nation for years.
Dr Adebisi Osim, President of APWEN, made the call on Wednesday in Calabar at the 5-day International Conference Exhibition and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of APWEN with the theme: “Engineering innovations and energy security for a sustainable future.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference, which was attended by dignitaries from engineering and other works of life, commenced on Monday with an interactive session with the media and engagement with students.
Osim said Nigeria must invest in sustainable energy solutions, leveraging engineering expertise to create a resilient energy infrastructure.
“We must advocate for policies that support renewable energy initiatives and foster public-private partnerships to enhance energy access across the Nation.
“We must explore innovative solutions that harness the power of engineering in the area of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower to complement our existing energy grid.
“The development of smart grids and energy-efficient technologies will ensure that we use our resources responsibly while reducing our carbon footprint,” she said.
She added that APWEN, alongside the engineering community, was ready to contribute its wealth of knowledge to collaborate with the government in solving the energy crisis, which would guarantee a sustainable energy future for Nigeria.
Similarly, Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum (oil), said his ministry was ready to support activities that would unleash the potential of young girls to be innovators, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).
Represented by Mr Biowe Kurokinyinanya, his Technical Assistant, Business, Lokpobiri enjoined the younger female engineers to emulate the works of older engineers for the collective nation-building efforts aimed at transferring innovative engineering solutions.
On his part, Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, who was represented by Mr Ekpenyong Cobham, the state’s Commissioner for Transport, said the state was open to collaboration with APWEN in any area of human endeavour.
NAN also reports that APWEN, which is a division of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), was founded in 1982 by six women, prominent among whom was Ms Joana Maduka and was inaugurated in 1983. (NAN)