Margaret Oguntala has officially assumed office as the president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), being the first female president of the society in its 65-year history.
An interlocutory injunction on the activities of the association towards the end of 2023 had raised concerns over Oguntala’s assumption of office, which signals a significant milestone for the stability of the NSE.
However, Justice Venchak Gaba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Kuje, Abuja, set aside the court order on December 18, 2023, clearing the path for the inauguration of Oguntala and others.
“The journey to this office for me has been fueled by a quest to serve with a clear purpose, inspired by the unwavering support I have enjoyed from members of the association and powered by the strong conviction that service is a continuous journey, not a destination,” said Oguntala, who was elected on December 21, 2023, as the 34th president of the NSE.
Oguntala, who took over from Tasiu Gidari-Wudil, shared her vision for the association in the New Year. “We look forward to this year as one that bears testament to our shared commitment to engineering excellence, free from biases or encumbrances. Consequently, I dutifully beckon everyone to join hands with us as we commence the work of building formidable layers on the strong foundation already laid. It is a new dawn, and our time starts now,” she said.
The association in a statement said that it is a new dawn in the history of the Nigerian Society of Engineers as the 33rd president, Tasiu Sa’ad Gidari-Wudil, hands over the baton of leadership to the 34th and first female president in the 65-year history of the NSE.
“Margaret Aina Oguntala FNSE, popularly known as the ‘Erelu Worldwide’ and regarded as the mother of modern-day engineering in Nigeria by young engineers in Nigeria, took the engineering world by storm when she, against all odds, broke the 65-year monopoly of male engineers as president of the prestigious association”, the association said in the statement.
The NSE stated further that Oguntala, a veteran of the society, has been a member since 1996 and a fellow since 2010. She has served in various capacities, including chairman of the Ikeja branch between 2010 and 2011, National exco member in 2012 and 2013, vice president in 2014, 2015, and 2016, and deputy president from 2021.
