The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye has commended the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) for embracing the inclusivity initiative through the election of its 1st female President to pilot the affairs of the organization for the next two years.
The Minister gave the commendation yesterday when the Executive Members of the Society, led by its President, Engr. (Mrs) Margaret Oguntola, paid her a courtesy visit in her office, in Abuja.
She stated that the election of a female President for the 1st time after 66 years of the body’s existence with 34 Presidents so far, is an indication of its desire for inclusivity, change and dynamism in line with the policy initiatives of the present administration
“Your election is a strong indicator of the vital role of women in nation building and I must commend the Nigerian Society of Engineers for providing the platform for the first woman to serve in this capacity after having 34 previous male Presidents. We don’t take this for granted and the Women Affairs Ministry will collaborate with your organization to realize collective goals”, the Minister said.
She informed that part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy focus is to boost food security and expressed optimism that the partnership with the Organization will further bolster the project through the manufacturing of indigenous farming tools for distribution to communities in the country
Barrister Kennedy-Ohanenye stated further that the Ministry’s willingness to collaborate with the Society was imperative as it will among others, provide opportunity to advocate for Vocational Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (V-STEM) education, especially for the girl-child in order to sensitize them on skill acquisition and enterpreneurial development
She thanked the Executive members for the visit and called on other professional bodies to key-in, with a view to providing more women with the opportunity to also contribute to the socio-economic development of the country
Earlier, the President, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. (Mrs) Margaret Oguntola, stated that they were in the Ministry to seek areas of possible collaborations with the Ministry in line with its mandate
She commended the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in particular, for creating the enabling environment for the upliftment of women in the country.
