By Isqil Najim
The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, is set to hold one of its biggest gatherings of the year, the APWEN Lagos Engineering Summit 2026, scheduled for Thursday, 27th August 2026, at the Ballroom of Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
For those unfamiliar with APWEN, the association is a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, built specifically around the interests, growth and visibility of women in the engineering profession. The Lagos Chapter, one of its most active arms, has over the years used platforms such as this summit to bring engineers, policymakers, industry leaders and innovators together under one roof, to discuss the state of engineering in Nigeria and chart a way forward.
This year’s summit carries the theme, Bridging Gaps, Building Legacies, Women Engineers Creating Enabling Environments For Growth And Innovation. Read simply, the theme speaks to two things at once. First, it acknowledges that gaps still exist for women in engineering, whether in leadership representation, access to opportunity or recognition of their contributions. Second, it positions women engineers not as passive beneficiaries of change, but as active builders of the environments that allow innovation and growth to thrive.
That framing is important. Rather than presenting women engineers as people waiting to be included, the theme presents them as people already doing the work of inclusion, mentorship and nation building. It is a subtle but deliberate shift in tone, and it sets the mood for everything else happening on the day.
The summit comes with a full programme outline. The centrepiece of the event is the inauguration of the 11th Chairman of APWEN Lagos Chapter, Engr. Bosede M. Oyekunle, a moment that marks a new chapter in the chapter’s leadership and continues a tradition of steady handover among the association’s female engineering leaders.
Beyond the inauguration, the day will feature a public lecture, expected to draw on current issues shaping the engineering profession in Nigeria, alongside the launch of a STEM book, aimed at strengthening the pipeline of young people, especially girls, choosing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The event will close with the Women In Engineering Excellence Awards, recognising outstanding contributions by women in the field.
The occasion will be chaired by Engr. Chinyere Nnenna Igwegbe, President of APWEN, while Engr. Atinuke Wuraola Owolabi, immediate past Chairman of APWEN Lagos Chapter, will serve as host.
Events like this carry weight beyond the ceremony itself. Leadership transitions within professional bodies are often quiet, administrative affairs, but when handled publicly and celebrated, as APWEN Lagos is doing here, they send a message that leadership succession among women in a demanding technical profession is worth honouring and making visible. It gives younger female engineers a concrete example of a leadership pathway that exists and works.
The STEM book launch also fits into a bigger national conversation. Nigeria continues to face a shortage of young people, particularly girls, pursuing STEM courses at the tertiary level. A book launched under the banner of a professional engineering body carries a different kind of authority than one launched elsewhere. It signals that the people writing about STEM careers are the same people practising them.
The summit is also open to corporate participation. Organisers have made provision for sponsorship, donation and advert placement, with pricing structured as follows. The Inner Front Cover and Back Cover are priced at five hundred thousand naira each, the Inner Back Cover is also five hundred thousand naira, a Full Page goes for two hundred and fifty thousand naira, while a Half Page is priced at one hundred and fifty thousand naira. Interested sponsors are to make payment into the association’s account, Association of Professional Women Engineers, APWEN Lagos, domiciled with GTBank, account number 0112279027.
Organisations interested in a corporate booth, exhibition space or general submissions can reach Engr. Zansi on +234 803 343 1987, or send an email to [email protected]. Evidence of payment, along with the PDF of advert designs or goodwill messages, should be submitted on or before 1st August 2026.
## Join The Conversation
APWEN Lagos Chapter is inviting engineers, industry leaders, policymakers, students and members of the public to come and be part of this year’s summit. It promises to be a day of reflection, recognition and forward planning for the engineering profession in Nigeria, anchored by the women driving much of that progress.
Date: Thursday, 27th August 2026
Venue: Ballroom, Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos
For enquiries and RSVP, contact Engr. Oluwatoyin Williams, FNSE, Chairman, Planning Committee, on +234 802 317 5800.
