The Group Managing Director(GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Makanti Baru, has advised parents to encourage their daughters to take up careers in engineering.
Baru gave the advice on Saturday in Misau at the inauguration of the Association of Professional Women Engineers (APWEN), programme title “Invent it, Build it.”
He said gone were the days when engineering was for the male children alone as female children could become engineers nowadays.
“Parents should raise the awareness on the value of science and engineering careers among their daughters.
“Boys who study Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and Physics in schools at present are more than girls.
“We need more girls in the Sciences and I urge parents to give their daughters all the necessary support and inspiration to study science subjects in the primary and secondary schools.”
The NNPC boss advised parents to give ideas about what science courses could do to transform the society for the better to their children.
“Science education can accelerate development in the country. Small girls should be encouraged to study not only Medicine but engineering as well,” he said.
Earlier, the President of APWEN, Felicia Agubata said their mission was to stimulate women to achieve professional excellence as engineers and leaders.
“That is why we come to catch those girls young in Misau community through this our maiden programme of ‘Invent it, built it,’” she said.
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According to her, we are in Misau to showcase our intention of propagating the child-girl education, especially in sciences, right from the primary school.
“We want to serve as the catalyst for the advancement of women in the engineering profession toward national and global technology.
“APWEN has concluded arrangements to sponsor 10 girls from Misau community from the primary school level up to university level.
“APWEN also plans to build and equip a model science laboratory for children at the Central Primary School Misau,” she said.
The president said the project was nurtured by APWEN supported by the NNPC to boost the girl-child career in engineering.
The theme of the programme is: “Inspiring the girl-child to take up the Sciences’’ with a view to pursuing a career in engineering. (NAN)
