The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Folashade Ogunshola, on Wednesday charged students to be innovative and problem-solving.
Ogunsola gave the charge at a public lecture and inauguration of an innovation and resource hub at the Faculty of Engineering, UNILAG.
The hub was donated to the faculty by the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN),
APWEN aimed to encourage Nigerian female engineers to be catalysts for societal advancement.
“Let me say that this is exciting, and I believe that we are all moving in the right direction. This speaks to where we are going in terms of education.
“We can’t afford to be copycats of what the West has done. We have so many problems, and we are looking for innovation.
“We are looking for solutions to the problems of the world. Let me also mention that the West has done a lot but we can see that it has its downsides.
“We have to start thinking of solutions that will not impact our climate negatively. We do not have to follow what they have done,” she said.
Ogunsola urged the students to be innovative and to find solutions to world problems.
“We certainly have to find new paths because we cannot replicate what we know will give us certain problems; so, I am throwing this open to students.
“ Our students, when they are challenged, always exceed expectations,” she said.
She thanked the Chairman of APWEN, Lagos Chapter, Mrs Atinuke Owolabi, for the gesture and pledged that the hub would be well utilised.
“I want to thank you for being part of our story, for helping us to move our students forward. The university has done a lot of work in the area of innovation.
“This is another space that is going to do a lot, but you are not giving us just a space, you are also giving us your wealth of experience,” she said.
The APWEN chairman, while speaking with journalists, said that the association would continue to empower young women to be innovative and good leaders.
“Today is not only about commissioning of the innovation hub, we are also holding a public lecture.
Throughout this month, we have been organising different innovation public lectures, webinar series and innovation competitions.
“Today, our young minds are going to present projects that they have done. This is to let you know that our women are doing great out there.
“These are the things that we will continue to do to empower and mentor them, to let them see why they have to keep into engineering profession,” she said.
She said the association would continue to bring industry players and professionals to train especially females engineers.
“By the time we expose them to the industrial world, the tendency is that they will keep into this profession and we will have more women engineers.
“We want more than 50 per cent of our women to be leaders and not just be part of the system,” she said.
The keynote speaker , Prof. Oluwatoyin Ashiru, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Olabisi Onabanjo University, said that there was need to encourage young people to develop their skills.
He spoke on: ‘From Circuit Boards to Shenovation: How Young Women Engineers Can Code, Create, Conquer and Cashout”.
He said: “Every problem that we face in life gives an opportunity for us to solve problems through inventions.
“They should not be shy on making their inventions into commerce.
“They should seek partners, coordinators, industries or financiers to help them to grow their ideas into greater products,” he said.
