The contributions of women engineers to knowledge development and deepening of infrastructure profile of Nigeria, especially, Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State has received huge accolades from various personalities and stakeholders.
The Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, King Edward Asimini William DappaPepple, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), Nigerian Society of Engineers, amongst others, poured encomiums on the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) for upscaling the capacity of women engineers and enhancing their leadership potentials.
They spoke at the occasion of the inauguration of the new executive of its Bonny Chapter and the 5th Anniversary of APWEN with the theme: ‘Empowering Women to Break Frontiers in Engineering’.
Represented by the Chairman of the Bonny Chiefs Council (BCC), Se-Alabo Dagogo Claude Wilcox, the Amanyanabo acknowledged the profound inputs women engineers have been making in different facets of national life and in Bonny Kingdom, praising them for their tenacity and also mainstreaming the grooming of the next generation engineers through the catch-them-young initiatives.
Also speaking, NLNG’s Managing Director, Dr Philip Mshelbila, who was represented by the General Manager, Production, Adeleye Falade, praised the comitment of APWEN to engage with other stakeholders to expand the scope of opportunities for career growth and leadership roles for women engineers, explaining that NLNG was committed to escalating the involvement of women in its present and future business and operational objectives.
In her speech, President of APWEN, Dr Elizabeth Eterigho, stated that APWEN was determined to achieve a positive outlook for the future of the girl-child and to build future generation where everyone was an equal stakeholder.
She noted that APWEN aptly connects with that objective, praising the new Chairman, Linda Ogbu for her leadership qualities.
Eterigho thanked Mshelbila, and Chairman of NSE, Bonny Branch, Ahmed Abdulwahab, for their relentless support for the association, which she said has helped in no small measure to project APWEN and help her achieve set objectives.
She also commended the outgoing Chairman of APWEN Bonny Chapter, Mrs Edith Hart for her invaluable efforts in providing the right leadership for the chapter and the numerous achievements of the chapter since its inauguration.
Delivering her keynote address on the theme, “Empowering Women to Break Frontiers in Engineering”, Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Dr ErewariUkoha-Onuoha,advanced the need for empowering women engineers, and indeed all professional women, to aspire to the highest prospects in their chosen careers.
Ukoha-Onuoha, who is a registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigerian (COREN), asserted that with the right atmosphere, support and motivation, women can break frontiers in the world of engineering.
On his part, Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Bonny Branch, Ahmed Abdulwahab, praised APWEN for the milestones it has achieved since its inauguration, explaining that the NSE would continue to support the association to realise its set objectives of empowering women engineers and raising the next generation of engineers.
President of the NLNG Residential Area Ladies Association (RALA), Victoria Obakpolor said “whatever is important to women is very important to RALA”, stressing that given that APWEN was populated by women, with most of them being members of RALA, her association connects with the passion of APWEN to empower women and its initiatives at reaching out to female students to inculcate in them the desire to pursue careers in engineering.
On her part, the newly inaugurated Chairman of APWEN Bonny Chapter, Linda Ogbu disclosed that under her watch, APWEN would amplify its catch-them-young drive to encourage the girl-child to not only study engineering but also excel in the profession, saying that as part of realising this goal, APWEN would visit schools, organise career talks and competitions and award scholarships, among other initiatives.
Outgoing Chairman of APWEN Bonny Chapter, Mrs Edith Hart thanked all stakeholders for the support the association enjoyed during her time in office.
The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) is a non-profit, non-governmental but educational service organisation and a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).
Inaugurated in 1983, APWEN currently has a membership of 3,500 registered female engineers, 39 chapters and 18 collegiate across the country.