The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria has launched a Consultancy Apprenticeship Programme to mentor and equip young female engineers with industry-ready skills.

In a statement, the chairman of the APWEN Lagos Chapter, Atinuke Owolabi, noted that SECAP stood out as more than just a mentorship programme, offering young female engineers the rare opportunity to train with established consulting engineering firms, work on real projects, gain true industry immersion, and access tangible job pathways.

She said, “We are proud to announce that 200 young female engineers have already registered for this programme. That means we are not only mentoring but directly empowering 200 young women to enter and thrive in the consulting engineering workforce. This builds on our recent successes. Just last month, Dangote Group gave full employment to over 20 of our young engineers through their Graduate Trainee Programme, a clear demonstration that APWEN Lagos is creating real and tangible career pathways for female engineers.

“Our gratitude goes to the President of ACEN, Engr. Kam-Selem Bukar, for co-hosting this launch and delivering today’s keynote address. Your leadership and commitment to gender inclusion in engineering are not just commendable. They are transformative. We also thank our mentor, one of the six founding members of APWEN and the MD of ACEN, Funmi Kadri FNSE, for accepting us and opening your doors to us.”

Meanwhile, an engineer, Funmilayo Kadri, noted that a strong career foundation is built through guidance, shared experience, and having someone who believes in you.

She said, “To our young engineers, you’re stepping into a field that is dynamic, challenging, and incredibly rewarding. You will face obstacles, yes, but you will also discover opportunities you never imagined. The mentors you’ll meet here are not just here to advise you; they’re here to walk with you, to encourage you, and sometimes to challenge you to think bigger than you thought possible.

“And to our mentors, thank you for saying yes to investing your time and wisdom. The impact you make here will ripple far beyond what we see today. I’m excited because I know this is not just a programme. It’s the beginning of a movement, a community of women in consulting engineering who lift each other up and open doors for those coming after them.”