The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), on Saturday, in Lagos, inaugurated the Artificial Intelligence Girls in Engineering Club aimed at grooming young experts to drive the nation’s rapid industrialization process.
The 300 undergraduates and young female engineers were inaugurated under the APWEN Lagos Skill Up Initiatives tagged “Skill Development on Industry Trends And Cutting Edge Technologies”.
Speaking at the event, APWEN Lagos Chapter Chairperson, Mrs Atinuke Owolabi, described Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a transformative force helping to reshape industries, solve complex problems and enhance living and livelihoods.
Owolabi said AI was helping humanity to address complex challenges in various sectors, but there had been gender disparity in the field, hence inauguration of the club to bridge the gap.
She explained that with AI, young engineers would be able to apply their techniques into machines and get things done within a short time.
She said that the selected female engineering students would be taught in many areas of artificial intelligence disciplines in order to be employers of labour rather than looking for jobs.
“Artificial intelligence is a transformative force in today’s world, and it has the potential to reshape entire industries, solve complex problems, and enhance our lives in ways we could have only dreamed of a few years ago.
“It is no exaggeration to say that AI will play a pivotal role in addressing some of the greatest challenges facing humanity, from climate change to healthcare, from transportation to education.
“Yet, for too long, there has been a gender disparity in the field of engineering and AI.
“But today, with the inauguration of this club, we take a decisive step towards changing that narrative. We firmly believe that diversity drives innovation,” she said.
Owolabi said empowerment of young female engineers would provide a level playing field and ensure that innovations to shape Nigeria’s future were driven by inclusive innovations.
She told the young engineers that the world needed their unique perspectives, creativity, and unwavering determination to lead innovations for Nigeria’s development.
“Embrace challenges, seek knowledge, and never be afraid to ask questions. In this club, you will have access to resources, mentors, and a community of like-minded individuals who share your passion.
“Together, we can harness the power of artificial intelligence to create a brighter, more inclusive, and more innovative world,” she said.
On his part, an ICT expert, Mr Haastrup Adesoji, who is also a member of the faculty, said the training would give the students about six months opportunity to learn different skills.
Adesoji said Nigeria had a lot of talents but there was a vacuum in harnessing technological opportunities, hence the intervention by APWEN to close the gap between the academia, industry and government to drive innovations.
Dr Imhade Okokpujie, Senior lecturer/researcher, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, and Mrs Oluwatosin Essien, a software engineer, said women engineers should take the lead in mentorship of the younger generation.
This, they noted, would help Nigeria catch up with the rest of the world, to take its pride of place in the fourth industrial revolution for rapid development and quantum leap of the country’s GDP.
