The new Executive Committee of the Association of Professional Women Engineers (APWEN), Ota Chapter, will embark on a massive drive at encouraging the girl child to embrace the engineering profession.

Engr. (Dr) Imhade Okokpujie revealed this much at her investiture as 2nd Chairman and the inauguration of the 2021/2022 Executives held recently in Covenant University. Engr. Okokpujie, a member of faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Covenant University, succeeded Engr. (Dr) Ayobami Busari, a former Covenant faculty.

While giving her inaugural address at the investiture ceremony, Engr. Okokpujie, who had acted as Chairman until the reconstitution of the executive committee, stated that from recent statistics APWEN could see that the ratio of female and male engineers was still incomparable, hence the need for mentorship and encouragement for the girl child to study engineering.

To achieve its objectives, she said her administration would carry out talks on the significance of engineering education, introduce the girl child to automobile and mechatronics engineering, and collaborate with universities and industries in developing female pupils from the government secondary and primary schools. “The aim is that in five to ten years, in every count of three nuclear families in the Ota community, there will be a female engineer,” said Engr. Okokpujie.

The Guest Speaker at the investiture ceremony, Engr. Nkechi Isigwe, who made a presentation titled ‘Building a Sustainable Leadership Skill’ stated that engineers needed skills that could be summarized as the art of perfection, mots especially the skill to overcome challenges. She said they needed to be good trailblazers, know the composition of the material they work with, and ensure that their resultant product would not be harmful to the environment.

Engr. Isigwe advised that when engineers look at a building, they should consider the sub-structure, the foundation, and the support system. “I challenge all of us today to choose to build the sustainable, leadership skill. You are the pace-setters of tomorrow. As one of my nephews said, Aunty, “No one can beat my records, they can only equal it”. This should be our mantra in APWEN that as we encourage, enhance and excel, we must be leaders who have acquired and developed our skills to build capacity for a sustainable future,” she said.

Also, earlier in her welcome remarks, the President, APWEN, Engr. Funmilola Ojelade congratulated the new executive members of APWEN Ota. She said she had absolute confidence in the capacity of the Chairman, Engr. Okokpujie, with whom she had worked in close quarters.

While commending the Ota Chapter for managing to keep the work going, the APWEN President said the next task before the new executives was to expand beyond the walls of Covenant University. She urged them to spread their dragnets and get others involved.

“I will like to encourage every female engineer in this University (Covenant) to be a part of this APWEN Chapter and actively contribute by showing up at monthly meetings and other activities and volunteering your services. Support the Chairman. Give your suggestions on programmes the Chapter can do to make a difference. The brightest minds are in Academia. All of us came out of institutions like this,” said Engr. Ojelade.