The Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, has commended the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) for embracing the inclusivity initiative through the election of its first female president to pilot the affairs of the organisation for the next two years.
The minister gave the commendation on Friday 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 first 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.
She said: “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 organisation to realize collective goals.”
The minister added 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 entrepreneurial 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 NSE president had stated that they were in the ministry to seek areas of possible collaborations with the ministry in line with its mandate.
Oguntola commended the minister and President Tinubu, in particular, for creating the enabling environment for the upliftment of women in the country.