Funmi Ogundare
Winners have emerged at the second edition of the Felicia Agubata Science competition and scholarship for girls in primary schools, designed to ignite the passion for STEM subjects among girls from the grassroots.
The competition organised in honour of the former president of the Association, Dr. Felicia Agubata, for her passion for seeing STEM at the forefront of career opportunities in Nigeria, was held at the Foluseke Abiodun Shomolu Club House, Auditorium, Egbin Power PLC Estate, Egbin, Ikorodu.
It saw participants tested in Mathematics, English Language, Quantitative Reasoning, Basic Science and Civic Education.
Miss Anthonia Nkwogu of Powerfields Group of Schools, Egbin, emerged the first smiling home with a cash prize of N100,000. Miss Amarachi Abebe of Methodist Girls Primary School, Gberigbe, and Justina Achem of Anwar-Ul-Islam Primary School, Ijede, came second and third positions, respectively.
According to the Chairman of the Association of Professional Women in Engineering (APWEN), Lagos Chapter, Monsurah Alagbe, the association is an advocate of girl-child education and encourages girls to pick a career in STEM.
The president of the association, Dr. Elizabeth Eterigho, described the scholarship as an awareness programme to encourage the girls in the field of science, raise their confidence and focus their attention on the mind-blowing career opportunities available.
She emphasised the importance of education, saying it leads the country towards advancement and increases individual knowledge towards national development.
She noted that though girls’ level of participation in science and engineering fields vary compared with their male counterparts, but education will bridge the gap between them and bring about rapid development in the country.
Agubata stated, “The future of the world is about STEM, and that is why APWEN is trying to prepare the girls for the job of the future.”
The Rector of the Federal University, Oko, Dr. Francisca Nwafulugo, represented by the spokeswoman of the Automotive Engineers Institute, Lagos, Mrs. Bose Dahunsi, commended Agubata’s initiative for the girl-child.
“It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that the girl-child is not relegated to the background. They should be given the opportunity to prove their mettle, especially in the area of science and technology, ” she said.
Former President of the Council of Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Kashim Ali, commended the association for its ingenuity. He advised the girls to work hard to be successful in their chosen fields.
