…as students beg govt, devt partners to boost science education

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – ON the heels of marking the International Women’s Day, IWD, the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, APWEN, Tuesday, called on well-meaning Nigerians corporate organisations, development partners and government to support build the capacity of science students and teachers to boost national development.

Speaking on the sidelines of APWEN’s International Women’s Day with the ‘Give to Gain’, the National President, APWEN, Engr Chinyere Igwegbe (FNSE), explained that it became imperative for the engineering family including investors, engineers, professionals, among others to celebrate women and inspire them to go for greatness.

According to Engr. Igwegbe, the time to give back to society is now, especially the nation’s education – provision of functional laboratories, equipment, training, textbooks, employing qualified science teachers, capacity building among others for national development.

She said: “The International Women’s Day that falls on the 8th of March, APWEN is celebrating on the 17th of March, and to recognize women who have selflessly served in the engineering profession with their time, mentorship, leadership styles.

“The students told every participant here that they are in need of so many things, like the laboratory facilities, they need their teachers to be trained, they need modern school facilities for teaching.

“So we are here saying that if you have something to spare, please always remember that there is one girl out there, one child out there in the society who needs a chair like a stool to sit and read, who also needs even exercise books to go to school, who needs a shelter. Some schools don’t have roofs.

“I believe that being the theme, being ‘Give to Gain’, if we look at it very well, it’s time for us to invest in the girl child.But APWEN is really diversity inclusive, so we are also saying STEM for all.

“We are here to reach out to like-minded individuals who believe in what APWEN is doing, to come together and give back to the society, part of which I have just enumerated, laboratory facilities, modern tools, and teaching the teachers.

Meanwhile, the APWEN boss explained that the Association is also running its girl-child programme in the 44 chapters across the nation and how they have been giving back to schools, running advocacy and carrying out mentorship. So as we speak, some chapters have already gone to the grassroots schools and they’ve gone to give back to the society, advocacy, and mentoring the girl-child.

However, according to her (Igwegbe), her members have not received serious support from the government in terms of engagement for national development.

“For now, we are seeking. I will say that government is not giving us support, but I will say that we need more support because for us to even talk to the media, I think government is listening to us.

“So government, yes, we need support from the government, and it is looking well, with the Ministry of Education to be precise, we also have Ministry of Youth Development, who is also looking forward to partner with us, and we have other partners in the pipeline that before the next quarter, we will reach out to them.”

In his remarks, former President, Nigeria Society of Engineers,NSE, Engr Kashim Ali, said the NSE priotizes women engineers in the scheme of things because of their importance to the organization.

Engr Ali also called on relevant organizations to give women quality attention to manage the resources of the country based on their capacity and capabilities.

“The world needs to recognize the place of women being at the forefront, and not just in the kitchen or in the background. After all, history has proven that women have led wars before.

“So at what point did they become subjugated the way they are now? For us as engineers, we pride ourselves in promoting our female colleagues because here is the case where in a class you could have just one girl”, he stated.

Meanwhile, students from some secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja passionately called for help in boosting science education based on their potential to change the narrative.

They pointed out challenges including lack of teachers, dilapidated laboratories, scarcity of textbooks, obsolete equipment and poor capacity building for teachers and students, collapsing buildings, poor furniture, among others.

They pleaded with the government, development partners and professional bodies to intervene in STEM education that would produce future scientists to advance Nigeria’s development in all sectors.