Former APWEN President unveils strategy for affordable electricity generation

Mrs. Idiat Amosu, an agriculture engineer, has urged the Nigerian government to properly harness available natural resources to reduce the cost of producing electricity and promote sustainability.

Amosu said this in an interview with our correspondent on the sidelines of a public lecture and mentorship programme organised by the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

The lecture was in commemoration of the World Creativity and Innovation Day, with the theme: “Step Out and Innovate”.

NEWSVERGE reports that the World Creativity and Innovation Day is a global UN celebration marked on April 21 and through the month, to raise awareness around the importance of creativity and innovation in problem solving, with respect to advancing the sustainable development goals.

Amosu, also a former President of APWEN, said it was high time the country ‘live off the grid’, by harnessing the solar energy and transferring its excess to the national grid to bring down the cost of production of energy.

“It is important for the country to focus on sustainability, which includes renewable energy that gives a sustainable source of power supply.

“If we can harness God given natural resources such as water, wind, steam turbines, fossil fuel, biomass, geothermal and solar energy source, among others, the cost of production of energy in the country would drop drastically,” she said.

In tackling waste management, Amosu, also a Fellow, Nigeria Society of Nigeria (NSE), stated that the best way to harness the nation’s waste system was to reduce or prevent it from the source.

The first female agriculture engineer in Nigeria noted that once this is done, the level of waste that would be transferred to the landfill would be reduced, and as such, sustaining the society.

According to her, some of the waste generation can be used to generate power, such as biogas and gasification, which would also contribute to bringing down the cost of production of power generation.

“Talking about biogas, I think Nigeria is behind, because presently in Indian, they have so perfected it that one can buy plastic biogas generators at home and cook with it, power the house.

“We need to increase the awareness about all these alternative natural sources of power generation.

Quite a number of people would challenge themselves and use it.

“Biogas is cheap and affordable. Even the WC we use in our toilets generates methane, which is why the WC is designed with a hole on top of it to allow the gas escape.

“That escaped gas is methane, which can burn and produces fuel, while the waste can be used as fertilizer; so it is a system that we need to encourage,” she said

In her welcome address, Mrs Atinuke Owolabi, Chairman, APWEN, Lagos Chapter, said that women engineers must champion the pivotal role of innovation in shaping societies and fostering sustainable development.

Owolabi said: “In a world filled with challenges and opportunities, creativity and innovation propel progress.

“We must delve into innovation, sustainability, and commit to excellence, empower the next generation, and contribute meaningfully to the society.

“This day reaffirms our dedication to nurturing creativity and innovation within our organisation and the broader engineering community.”

“Step Out and Innovate” encourages women engineers to break barriers, challenge conventions, and devise solutions for a sustainable future.

According to her, the public lecture and mentorship session focused on embracing sustainability in engineering innovations and best practices, highlighting the future of the engineering profession.

The APWEN chairman lauded revered mentor Amusu’s insights, which would undoubtedly inspire and shape the future of engineering.

The engineer said APWEN Lagos remains steadfast in promoting diversity, inclusivity, and excellence in engineering.

“We encourage all female engineers to embrace innovation and leave an indelible mark on the world,” she said.

NEWSVERGE reports that in commemoration of the event, APWEN unveiled the Idiat Amusu Reverse Mentorship Scheme.

The scheme is designed to connect young engineers to engineers with those above 50 years to mentor them on emerging technology, while the younger ones benefit from the elders’ experiences.

The association presented award across various categories, including talented Nigerian children who distinguished themselves in the FAEO-WIE Art Competition 2023, demonstrating their creativity and passion for engineering.

APWEN further awarded 12 young female innovators who emerged top winners from its young innovators competition.

The winner of the innovators’ competition is Miss Kehinde Adegboye, 200 level student of Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

Adegboye appreciated APWEN for organising the competition and giving young innovators a platform to explore their talent.

The winners said she invented a carbon monoxide emision conversion from small engines, such as generators, into a cooling process.