By Stephen Adeleye.
The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Kogi chapter, said it had concluded plans to begin sensitisation of girl child in schools to encourage their interest and pick a career in sciences and engineering.
Mrs Margaret Ojo, the state’s Chairperson of APWEN, disclosed this when the state’s exco visited Kogi Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, in her office on Friday in Lokoja.
“We are encouraging the girl child to pick up science and engineering as profession, by going to their schools to teach and educate them to take science subjects seriously.
“We know that engineering is not only meant for men; women are equally up to the task.
“We are examples of women that have excel in engineering field, and they too can do the same. If we can do it, they can do it also,” she said.
The chairperson added that APWEN would encourage the school girls by giving them things that could enhance their interest in taking up sciences and engineering at the long run as a profession.
In his response, the commissioner said she was excited as a woman that women were taking the lead in stakeholders’ involvement and ownership in the education sector.
According to Osikoya, APWEN at the national level is partnering with the ministry by picking LGEA primary school in Ofugo, Ankpa, as the site for construction of Science and Technical laboratory, and also donated uniforms to about 450 pupils.
“So, I am deeply and sincerely grateful that they have come together to embark on sensitisation campaign to encourage girl child to pick up career in science and engineering.
“Other professional associations in the state should also emulate what APWEN is doing.
“If we chose to invest in tomorrow’s generations, the future of Kogi will begin to get better today. If you mentor a child, the incidences of teenage pregnancy, youth restiveness would be addressed,” she said.
She emphasised that the government considered education as a multi-stakeholder area of investment which was not limited to government alone, saying “we need more people to come on board”.
Osikoya urged professional groups and NGOs to be more proactive in a positive sense; construct school buildings, laboratories, and donate them to government as the schools need more of them.
She noted that the state had also reclassified additional 17 schools to the existing four in the state, to enable each local government have technical and vocational colleges which were captured in the 2019 state budget.
The commissioner further disclosed that Kogi Government had been informed that the Federal Ministry of Education would be establishing a Government Science Technical College in Kogi State.
