By Ebunoluwa Sessou

It was a moment of reflection, gratitude and celebration as the Chairman of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, APWEN, Lagos Chapter, Engr. Atinuke Owolabi, FNSE, delivered her valedictory address at the association’s 2025 Annual General Meeting, Award and Election at the newly commissioned APWEN Lagos Innovation & Resource Hub, Faculty of Engineering, UNILAG.

With a tone rich in humility and fulfilment, Engr. Owolabi recounted a two-year tenure defined by strategic transformation, groundbreaking empowerment programmes and unprecedented visibility for female engineers across Lagos State and beyond.

Hwe words:“Two years ago, you entrusted me with the mandate to lead this great association, today, I stand with a heart full of gratitude. We have fulfilled the vision together”.

Owolabi highlighted a series of technical sessions, public lectures and innovative training programmes that have shaped the professional landscape for women in engineering. Notable sessions included lectures on Engineering Professionalism, Executive Order 5, Blockchain and IoT, and even the impact of AI on financial sustainability topics that not only pushed boundaries but positioned APWEN Lagos as a thought leader in engineering innovation.

“APWEN’s Lagos hosted over 15 expert-led lectures, touching on resilience, unconscious bias, plastic pollution, and the value of emotional intelligence in engineering workplaces”.

She outlined the chapter’s wide-reaching STEM outreach that impacted over 1,500 girls across Lagos’ educational districts. “From Makoko to Epe, from Ojo to Agege, we have inspired the next generation of female engineers.

“Initiatives such as International Girls in ICT Day, World Engineering Day, and a STEM Holiday Camp held in honour of Engr. Felicia Agubata, FNSE, were not only platforms for education but also engines of transformation.

“The commissioning of the APWEN Lagos Innovation & Resource Hub in the Facility of Engineering, UNILAG is also one of the outstanding successes that the 2023—2025 executive achieved.

“The hub, which offers training in 3D design, AI, simulations and more, is a bold statement on the chapter’s commitment to future-forward engineering.

“We donated equipment to UNILAG’s Faculty of Engineering and launched the APWEN AI Club,” she noted, describing the development as a revolutionary step towards digital transformation.

“Through collaborations with organizations like AUTOGIG, Microsoft, Eko Disco, ACEN, and Dangote, the chapter delivered hands-on workshops, career placement support, and mentorships that have seen over 200 young female engineers benefit.

“Other highlights included the donation of free JAMB forms, scholarships to underserved communities, and the facilitation of corps member placements across various engineering firms.

“We recorded 20 job placements with Dangote alone.

“From winning the first prize in Group Dynamics at the 2024 APWEN Calabar AGM to inducting over 120 new members, APWEN Lagos under Owolabi’s watch has not only grown in numbers but also in influence”, she said.

Engr. Owolabi also used the occasion to acknowledge elders, past leaders and the entire APWEN Lagos family for their support throughout her tenure.

“We came, we saw. we engineered impact. Under my stewardship, APWEN Lagos has not only engineered impact, it has redefined what it means to lead with purpose.

“My tenure may not have been ideal for everyone, but life teaches us to learn from conflicts. I sincerely apologize where I fell short”, she added.

Handing over leadership to a new executive team elected during the AGM, she said, “Let us keep pushing past boundaries, encouraging one another and lighting the path for the next generation of female engineers.