It was a time of gratitude, pride, and reflection as Engr. Atinuke Owolabi, FNSE, delivered her valedictory address at the 2025 Annual General Meeting, Awards, and Election of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, APWEN, Lagos Chapter.
The event, which held at the newly commissioned APWEN Lagos Innovation & Resource Hub, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos, also marked the end of her two-year tenure as chairman.
With a voice filled with humility and fulfillment, Owolabi recounted a period defined by strategic transformation, groundbreaking empowerment programmes, and unprecedented visibility for female engineers across Lagos State and beyond.
“Two years ago, you entrusted me with the mandate to lead this great association. Today, I stand with a heart full of gratitude. We have fulfilled the vision together,” she said.
During her stewardship, APWEN Lagos hosted over 15 expert-led technical sessions and public lectures, exploring topics from blockchain and the Internet of Things to engineering professionalism, Executive Order 5, and the role of artificial intelligence in financial sustainability.
Other sessions touched on resilience, unconscious bias, plastic pollution, and emotional intelligence in engineering workplaces, positioning the Lagos chapter as a thought leader in engineering innovation.
Owolabi also highlighted APWEN Lagos’ extensive STEM outreach, which reached more than 1,500 girls across the state’s educational districts. Initiatives such as International Girls in ICT Day, World Engineering Day, and a STEM Holiday Camp in honour of Engr. Felicia Agubata, FNSE, served as platforms for inspiring the next generation of female engineers.
One of the chapter’s signature achievements was the commissioning of the APWEN Lagos Innovation & Resource Hub, a facility that offers training in 3D design, artificial intelligence, and simulations. The hub also houses the newly launched APWEN AI Club, described by Owolabi as “a revolutionary step towards digital transformation.”
The chapter’s partnerships with organizations such as AUTOGIG, Microsoft, Eko Disco, ACEN, and Dangote Group facilitated hands-on workshops, mentorship programmes, scholarships, career placements, and donations of JAMB forms to underserved communities. Notably, over 200 young female engineers benefited, with Dangote alone absorbing 20 job placements facilitated by the chapter.
Other milestones under Owolabi’s leadership included scholarships, corps member placements across engineering firms, and winning first prize in Group Dynamics at the 2024 APWEN Calabar AGM. The chapter also recorded the induction of over 120 new members, consolidating its influence and growth.
“We came, we saw, we engineered impact. Under my stewardship, APWEN Lagos has not only engineered impact, it has redefined what it means to lead with purpose,” she reflected, while acknowledging elders, past leaders, and members for their support.
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