OpeOluwani Akintayo
23 April 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos – The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has partnered the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, APWEN, in Misau, Bauchi State to launch the “Invent It, Build It” Programme.
The programme launched over the weekend is a flagship project of APWEN.
At the event, NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru expressed delight at the kick-off of the project in his alma mater, Central Primary School, Misau, Bauchi State, and noted that no nation had ever achieved meaningful development without the key subjects of Science, Engineering, and Technology, SET.
According to him, the Nigerian girl-child possesses the ability to realise her full potential in the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The “Invent It, Build It” programme by APWEN is to inspire the girl-child (aged 8-10 in the upper primary school) to take up the sciences with a view to pursuing a career in engineering.
“The study of Science, Technology, and Engineering requires an eye for details, diligence and multi-tasking ability for which women and, by extension girls, are well known.
“I would like to call on teachers and parents all over the country to encourage the study of Science, Technology & Engineering among the girl-child,” Dr. Baru stated at the ceremony.
Describing engineers as the gears of progress, who help accelerate development all over the world, he stressed that the engineering profession held the key to Nigeria’s technological advancement and in turn, economic prosperity.
