The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, on Friday, donated and installed a 1.5KVA solar system to the female Engineering student’s hostel of the Lagos State University, Epe campus.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, the Women Engineers also donated a 1.5hp solar pump and five solar street lights, to address the challenge of erratic electricity power supply in the campus.
During the donation at the university campus, the Chairman, APWEN Lagos Chapter, Atinuke Owolabi, said that the association spent not less than N5 million to purchase the equipment for the electrification of the hostel.
Owolabi said the installation would enable students to have a 24-hour constant power supply.
She described the blackout in Epe environs and by extension, the school campus, as a pathetic situation.
She said the situation became an issue of concern to the association when it received reports of the harsh conditions the students were coping with due to a power outage on the campus for over a month.
Owolabi said this also affected the water supply because there was little or no means to pump water and that posed a threat to the security of the lives of students as a result of the blackout.
The chairman said enhancing the learning environment would encourage female engineering students to excel in their academics.
According to her, this is a priority for APWEN, hence the mission to ameliorate their plight by providing the solar system as soon as possible.
Owolabi said, “We believe that this electricity provision for our female engineering students would create a conducive learning environment, encourage uninterrupted study sessions and make them more resourceful.
The power supply will help our female engineering students when doing their research, especially the 500-level students. They will be able to power their phones, laptops, and other gadgets and do their assignments.
“APWEN is on a mission to equip the female engineering students and build their capacities. They deserve the best because they are the future of our country.
“With the solar pump, they will also have access to potable water and proper sanitation of their environment.
We want our Faculties of Engineering across universities to produce more of first-class graduates. We are ready to support and also remove any hindrances to that goal.”
Speaking further, the chairman said four of the street lights would be installed in strategic areas in the female hostel for illumination, while one of them would be installed in the male hostel, to also support them.
She added that the women engineers believe in development, therefore giving support to the students from the Faculty of Engineering and Electricity.
Owolabi explained that mere words were not enough to motivate female students into the engineering profession by equipping them through such CSRs, training and mentorship.
She stated that the female students will also be trained on solar generation, installation and maintenance to promote renewable energy and reduce carbon footprint in the campus.
She stated that APWEN would continue to support female engineering students in all institutions across the state, address their peculiar challenges and focus on how it affects one institution to the other.
Owolabi revealed that APWEN had also engaged the Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources on the plight of the students on the campus.
She hinted on the plan by the state government to launch an emergency intervention of a mini-grid for the university campus.
