An Industrialist and business mogul, Chief (Engr) Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has advocated industrial revolution and proper engagements of professional engineers in various fields of studies, technologists and scientists as the panacea for the quick and faster recovery of the nation’s economic development.
Chief Iwuanyanwu spoke at this year’s Engineers Day when the National Leadership of Association of Professional Women Engineers invested him their national Grand Patron in Abuja.
He said that nations that have advanced industrially and technologically have always made use of their indigenous Engineers in both government and private institutions.
He called on the federal, state and indigenous and multinational institutions to embark on mass recruitment of professional engineers to improve the nation’s industrial sector, in order to ensure greater upliftment of the national GDP.
He observed that the nation’s higher institutions of learning mass produce well trained engineers and other professionals in various fields of human endeavour but regretted that no provision is made to engage them meaningfully either by employment or soft loans to enable them establish their own mini industries or investments.
Engr. Iwuanyanwu recalled his exploits as Chairman of FERMA, when he recruited hundred of engineers and sent them abroad on training for road maintenance, equipment maintenance and management and noted that today, Nigeria is reaping from the products of those engineers.
He commended the Association of Professional Women Engineers (APWEN) for organizing themselves as a body to add quality to the activities of their parent body the Nigerian Society of Engineers of which they are all members including himself.
He enjoined them to use their Association to ensure that many young girls are attracted to study engineering courses in tertiary institutions adding that in many developed countries, women are blazing the trail in their nation’s industrial sectors.
Engr. Iwuanyanwu maintained that any nation that neglects its Engineers does so at her peril because no nation can achieve faster development without industrialization and this he said is the bane of most African countries including Nigeria.
He advised the nation’s leadership to ensure the revival of all moribund industries and institutions by handing them over to individuals and institutions engaged in the training of professional engineers and technologists for management.
He observed that depending on foreigners will yield nothing to the nation’s industrial advancement pointing out that no nation transfers it technology to another nation.
Decorating Engr. Iwuanyanwu as their Grand Patron, the National President of the Association Engr. Elizabeth Eterigho said that after critical evaluation of all Engineers, they found Chief Iwuanyanwu to stand in as their Grand Patron. Above all, Engr. Elizabeth said Chief Iwuanyanwu’s exploits in the Engineering profession and love for humanity are yet to be equaled.
She said that for over three decades, the Association has embarked on several initiatives and programmes aimed at encouraging engineering studies and practice among Nigerian females, adding that APWEN is a platform for aggregation of efforts within the group as well as a veritable tool for collaboration with organizations, governments and individuals that share their values and ideals.
She said that they aspire to partner with other women groups in sundry profession in Nigeria and elsewhere to pursue their goals pointing out that the vision of APWEN is to be an advocate for the advancement of women in the engineering profession towards national and global technological development.
Engr. Elizabeth Elerigho said that APWEN is determined to increase the number of practicing female engineers and to encourage them to achieve professional excellence as engineers and leaders.
The National President of the Women Engineers assured that they will encourage girls to think as innovators, solve problems like scientists and engineers, equip them with knowledge to be confident of themselves and creative to address major challenges in their communities such as generating sufficient energy, preventing and treating diseases, maintaining supplies of clean food as well as solving the problems of environmental challenges in the society. She opined that by these projects women and girls from local communities representing the 6 geo-political zones in Nigeria will become financially independent.