The National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO) has said it would offer internship opportunities to the best science students of Kuramo Senior College and Victoria Island Senior Secondary School, Lagos.
NETCO, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said it would also offer scholarships to undergraduates in engineering courses from Iru Community, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Johnson Awoyomi, managing director, NETCO, made the pledge on Wednesday while flagging off the “NETCO Goes to Schools” initiative in Lagos.
Awoyomi, represented by Kigo Ahmad, executive director, Services, NETCO, said the initiative was part of NETCO’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme to Iru land, its host community.
He said: “It is a NETCO thematic thrust in education and economic empowerment programme that is geared towards the growth and development of Iru land.
“The programme is primarily designed to encourage the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with emphasis on engineering and the sole aim of demystifying the engineering profession.
“The short and long term plan of this programme is to provide internship to best science students during long vacations as well as scholarships for undergraduates in engineering courses respectively.”
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Also, Anita Ogboile, chief executive officer, Deep Blue Energy, said engineering was integral to human development hence, there is a need to encourage more young persons to go into the profession.
Ogboile debunked the notion that engineering courses were only for the male gender, adding that there were many successful female engineers all over the world.
She urged the students to remain focused on their studies in order to become future leaders in the society.
Vincent Adegbotolu, managing director, Deep Water Consulting and Engineering Services Ltd., said engineering brings about societal development and pushes boundaries into new territories.
“Everything you see in your day to day activities revolves back to engineering, from the cars to your desk, to the building you are seated in.
“All these have to do with engineering,” Adegbotolu, represented by Anselem Nzenwani, said.
Bashir Afolami, secretary to the Oniru Council of Chiefs and Iruland representative, said NETCO and the Iru Community have a very cordial relationship.
He urged the students and other youths from the community to take advantage of NETCO’s programmes to become better citizens in the future.
Adebayo Dawodu, Principal, Kuramo College, commended NETCO for the initiative, stressing that one of the major setbacks of Nigeria as a country was non-encouragement of science and technology.
“If it is encouraged, it is definitely going to boost our economy because the world is going digital and we cannot be left behind.
“It is a laudable development and I want to believe that this programme will encourage more of our students to go into sciences,” Dawodu said.
On his part, Adedayo Osinilu, Vice Principal, Victoria Island Senior Secondary School, said the initiative was good for the advancement and promotion of engineering and sciences.
He said: “It is to encourage our young ones to see that science and engineering is not something difficult or something that anybody cannot do most especially the female gender.
“Engineering is for both genders and anybody can become an engineer and I am happy that this programme is being held in this school and I am grateful to the organisers.”
