The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Kwara Chapter, on Thursday trained secondary school girls on Engineering and Sciences.
The programme is part of the activities by the association in celebrating the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, 2021, themed: “Women Scientists at the forefront of the fight against CIVID-19”.
Speaking at the programme, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babatunde, the state Chairman of APWEN, said women scientists are at the forefront of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic across the world.
She added that women are also ensuring that their family is safe through constant care for the children and the environment.
Babatunde observed that there are fewer girls that show interest in the Engineering profession, due to the erroneous belief that it is strictly a male dominated profession.
She encouraged girls not be afraid to go into the Engineering profession, adding that it is time for both gender to come together and solve the problems of the world.
“This is an opportunity for members of the association to come together and encourage and sensitise our girls on the importance of Engineering as a profession,” she said.
Also speaking, Dr Rasheedat Mahamood, Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ilorin, explained that Engineering is an interesting and problem solving profession.
According to her, Engineering and Science is applied to every aspect of life, while advising that there is nothing boys can do that the girls cannot do.
“It is a profession that uses the brain to think logically and proffer solution to problems,” she said.
Mrs Nihinlola Olawuyi, the Vice-Chairman of APWEN, Kwara Chapter, defined Engineering as the creative application of science, mathematical methods, and empirical evidence to the innovation, design, construction, and maintenance of structures, machines, materials, devices, systems, processes and organisations.
She disclosed that the profession comes with financial security, mentorship work in professional environment and satisfaction of career, among others.
Sidelines of the programme includes career talk and Science Exposition, entitled: Demonstration of simple flash light for illumination and hand fan”, demonstrated by Mahamood.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the schools that took part in the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, includes St. Anthony Secondary Schools Ilorin, University of Ilorin Secondary Schools and the Lower Niger River Basin Secondary School, Ilorin. (NAN)