Female builders’ association inaugurates Adenike Saidi as new chairperson
The Association of Professional Women Builders of Nigeria (APWBN) has inaugurated Mrs Adenike Saidi as the second national chairperson of the association, alongside other executives.
Saidi and some other executives were inaugurated at an event themed ‘Construction industry transformation and digital divide – Bridging the ICT gap’.
In her acceptance speech, Saidi said APWBN has less than 500 members on its register, and so it planned to follow up on its membership strength at higher institutions, government ministries and agencies, construction as well as manufacturing companies.
The new APWBN president said, the association shall be driving force for encouraging girls to study and ultimately practice building technology because so many of them cannot distinguish between building technology and engineering.
According to her, career talks to target age groups and catchment areas will be imbibed, with greater emphasis placed on local authorities and public schools.
To be remarkable in this area, she said, the association shall seek sponsorships for financially disadvantaged girls who have passion to study building technology; empowerment programmes for women, artisans and welfare of its members, and also institute awards for innovation and contributions of APWBN members to the development of the association and other supporters of its vision.
Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, who was the special guest of honour, congratulated the new chairperson of APWBN, stressing that the theme of the event was apt, because the different sectors in the economy, including the construction sector, required digital transformation.
Mrs Sanwo-Olu said it was imperative for women who were given the opportunity to serve to prove themselves remarkably with a difference and urged the newly inaugurated executives to come up with solutions to help to address challenges confronting the building sector in Nigeria.
The National President, Nigerian Institute of Builders, Mr Kunle Awobodun, said the construction industry needed transformation and was at the threshold of disruption, adding that “the disruption is for better and in the way we do things. The disruption however will come with challenges.”
