Dr Atinuke Owolabi, the Chairman of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, has urged the state government for the empowerment of female engineers to fast-track growth and development.

Owolabi made this call recently during a public lecture conducted virtually in commemoration of the 2024 International Women in Engineering Day.

The theme of the lecture is “Empowering Women Engineers: Transforming Infrastructure to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals”.

She called on the state government to empower indigenous female engineers and source spare parts locally.

She said, “The government should implement regular maintenance checks to sustain infrastructural investments in the state. The theme of the lecture highlighting the role women play in shaping Nigeria’s infrastructure and advancing global sustainability is timely and crucial as Nigeria strive to build inclusive and resilient infrastructures that meet current and future community needs.

“There is the need to empower female engineers, the use of local engineers in projects, and the patronisation of locally made spare parts to fast-track growth and development.

“Let us remember that empowering women engineers is not just about breaking barriers but also about building bridges to connect ideas, innovations, and aspirations for a better tomorrow.”

Also speaking, Dr. Adebisi Osim, the APWEN President, stated that the 2024 International Women in Engineering Day with the theme, “Enhanced by Engineering”, highlighted the critical role female engineers play in shaping the global future.

“It underscores our commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment where women engineers not only excel but lead transformative change in our communities and beyond,” Osim said.

She noted that the theme of the lecture was a reminder of the immense contributions women continue to make in the field of engineering and the challenges they overcome.

Osim added, “Infrastructure formed the backbone of economies, societies, and environments, providing essential services and enabling growth with female engineers making impact while advocating equal representation and challenging stereotypes.”

Kidiri explained the transformative power of engineering in enhancing infrastructure development, and acknowledged the transformative power of engineering in enhancing infrastructure development and outlined challenges related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 and 7.

“SDG 6: Improved access to clean water, enhanced sanitation, efficient water management, SDG 7: Increased access to reliable electricity, reduced reliance on fossil fuels, improved energy efficiency.

“Engineering and engineers are crucial in the efforts to achieve SDGs 6 and 7,” she said.