The Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) has tasked female engineers on technical support programmes to help women secure secular spaces in a male-driven occupation towards the financial sustainability of young and active women across the Lagos Metropolis.
Permanent Secretary of WAPA, Mrs. Oluyemi Kalesanwo made the call during a courtesy visit by representatives of the Nigerian Society of Female Engineers led by Engr. (Mrs.) Ayodolapo Bello to the Ministry.
She applauded the similar roles being played by the Society in ensuring the development and growth of women and youths in Lagos, adding the two bodies should collaborate on empowerment programmes for vulnerable women across the State.
She stated that the State Government will not rest on its oars to ensure women and youths were empowered in supporting their families, imploring women and youths to enroll at any of the 19 Skills Acquisition Centres closest to them for free knowledge acquisition in 20 vocations in order to become financially independent and a contributor towards a progressive society.
Kalesanwo said, “The enormous level of poverty in the society is disheartening and there is a need for the Ministry to engage Engineers as technical facilitators during most interventions programmes towards educating participants on knowledge acquisition of tech-driven skills among others”.
She averred that beneficial collaboration was necessary at this point between the State Government and Civil Society Organisations to effectively address the citizens’ needs as well as impact positively on the socio-economic growth of Lagos State.
In her remark, Mrs. Ayodolapo Bello, the Chairman, Nigerian Society of Female Engineers expressed the society’s wish to partner with the Ministry on its empowerment initiatives for all-inclusive intervention strategies.
