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L-R: President of Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) Engr Dr Elizabeth Eterigho; Mrs Stella Robert her husband winner of Innovator of the year award Mr Azibaola Emmanuel Robert, 13th APWEN President . Engr Nnoli Akpedeye, during the during the 2021 Vanguard Personality of the year Award in Lagos on 20/5/2022

….As APWEN applauds Vanguard’s recognition of innovation, creativity

By Ebunoluwa Sessou

One of the awardees of the Vanguard Personality Awards Event, held last Friday in Lagos, Engr Azibaola Emmanuel Robert has said that he will not stop at anything until he has accomplished his mission of producing electric cars and automobile engines including heavy-duty cars, such as trucks and excavators in Nigeria as a way of promoting the local content.

He made the promise during the Vanguard Event after receiving the ‘Innovator of the Year’ among other awardees shortlisted by Vanguard.

Speaking with Vanguard, Engr. Robert urged the youths to be determined in their passion for innovation adding that, more people are expected to become more innovative in making the country a better place.

“I am working towards making Nigerians proud, giving them automobile engines. One of the biggest problems of Nigeria is the inability to make machines that make machines, we import everything and I have the passion and ability to make such in Nigeria.

“I was not expecting the award, I work because it is right to do things without expecting any reward and it is an honour that Vanguard, the foremost newspaper, deemed fit to award me the ‘Innovator of the Year’ amongst other candidates.

“When you do things with passion, you should get recognition from your society and passion that brings about the humanity of people and country.

Celebrating with the honorary, Engr Elizabeth Eterigho, the 17th President of Association of Professional Women Engineering of Nigeria, APWEN, applauded Vanguard for the gesture saying, it is a way of encouraging people to study engineering.

“I feel excited because it is an indication that engineering is innovation, innovation in technology, and technology is developing so in order to bring in something new, engineering is needed.

“Engr Robert is a born lawyer, but because he wants to create an impact in the world of engineering, he decided to go into that field knowing that you can only make a positive impact in the area of development and innovation by being an engineer.

“This occasion shows that it is only in engineering you can really innovate things and the development of any nation depends on its engineering capacity. I am impressed that one of us has been recognized for what he has done.

“We need to look inward and think about solving problems in Nigeria that are peculiar to us, using our engineering skills.

“I think the young engineers should look into all the issues on the ground because we can solve them, they should think outside of the box and innovate something to solve problems even to become employers of labour.