By Chris Njoku
Women engineers under the auspices of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) have advised leaders that only science and technology could secure the future of Nigeria.
This was disclosed by Dr Adebisi Osim, President of APWEN on Saturday in Calabar while commemorating the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, with the theme: “Women and Girls in Science Leadership, a New Era for Sustainability.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Day for Women and Girls in Science is celebrated annually on Feb. 11 to empower women and girls in the scientific community and promote gender equality.
NAN also reports that the association organised a science competition for girls in nine secondary schools in Calabar which was won by the girls from Government Technical College, Mayne Avenue, Calabar.
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Osim said the nation needed to acknowledge the crucial role played by women and girls in the scientific community and the immense impact they can have on creating a sustainable future.
According to the president, “science and engineering have the power to transform societies, drive innovation and address some of the most pressing challenges facing Nigeria and the world at large.
“It is our collective responsibility to encourage and support the participation of women and girls in these fields, fostering an environment where they can thrive and contribute their unique perspectives,” she said.
She encouraged the students to dream big and believe in their capabilities, noting that science and engineering were not just fields for boys but domains where their creativity, intellect and passion could make a lasting impact.
Similarly, Mrs Margaret Oguntala, Pres. Nigerian Society of Engineers, (NSE) said few days ago, President Bola Tinubu met with governors and other stakeholders to address issues of insecurity, hunger and unemployment, noting that engineering was the way out of these challenges.
Oguntala who was represented by Mr Ndifon Agbiji a National Executive Member said Nigeria could rise from its present state through a sustainable producing economy powered by science and engineering.
“We can sustain the productivity of Nigeria in the next four years through the deployment of science, technology and engineering, this would pull the nation from its present state,” she said.
On her part, Mrs Faith Itam, Chairperson of APWEN in Cross River said they had to involve girls in secondary schools to get them into thinking science and engineering early in their lives.
While encouraging the girls to follow their dreams against societal and family pressures, Itam said the association aimed at helping to increase the number of girls going into the field of engineering by encouraging and supporting them.
Miss Promise Offiong a junior secondary student of Government Technical College Mayne Avenue that won the science competition said she was happy for the engagement with APWEN adding that she was going to continue on the path of science and engineering. (NAN)
