The immediate past chairman of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, Dr. Atinuke Owolabi, has reiterated the commitment of engineers in the state towards strengthening hands-on skills and bridging the gap between theory and practice for young practitioners as well as making senior professionals more relevant.
Owolabi made the commitment at the 2025 annual general meeting, awards and election of new officials of the chapter in Lagos.
Giving an account of her stewardship since the past two years, Owolabi revealed that one major breakthrough recorded was the ability to host various workshops, trainings and hackathons, including the APWEN Lagos skill-up initiative with AUTO-GIG, which trained 25 engineers in Auto-CAD, empowered 38 members through digital manufacturing at Microsoft and hosted cyber-security workshop Series 1.0 & 2.0.
Others, she highlighted, are 102 submissions during the SHEnovation Hackathon, the launch of SECAP with 200 young female engineers, and the hosting of practical sessions in mechanical, solar, and civil engineering.
“We inspired over 1,500 girls through STEM-based education and awareness programmes. Trained over 50 senior engineers in AI tools and engaged 11 schools on International Day of the Girl Child in Education District IV. Engaged 10 schools on International Day of Women & Girls in Science in Education District (III), engaged 10 schools on International Girls in ICT Day in the Education District and mentored 120 girls on health and hygiene. Organised a Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics holiday camp in Makoko in honour of Dr Felicia Agubata and gave scholarships and support to the ‘She Creates and Robotics Demos’ at Pan Atlantic University,” Owolabi said.
According to her, the APWEN team in Lagos has built stronger systems, empowered more members, and positioned the chapter as a forward-thinking engineering force, emphasising that the chapter has increased visibility, built capacity, and inspired impact among female engineers, thus encouraging the younger generation to rise with excellence and innovation.
She disclosed that the chapter facilitated job placement with Tranos, Covenant Plus and 20 job placements with Dangote.
“Although I’m stepping down as chairman, I will continue to be actively involved in APWEN Lagos. As a member of the Board at the North Central Development Commission representing the South-West, I am committed to using this position to empower our future engineers and create more opportunities for every member of APWEN,” she pledged.
The chapter, she said, opened the APWEN Lagos Innovation & Resource Hub at the University of Lagos and donated engineering and innovation equipment and tools to the Faculty of Engineering.
On membership growth, she noted that about 120 new members, including students, professionals, and retirees, were added; student chapters in UNILAG, YABATECH, and LASU were established; and student-to-professional transitions were encouraged, among others.
