The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) has called on the federal government to take steps to address the energy crisis in the country.

APWEN President Adebisi Osim said at the association’s ongoing annual general meeting in Calabar on Thursday that tackling the country’s energy problems was taking too long.

In her speech at the conference on “Technological innovations and energy security for a sustainable future”, Ms Osim called on the Federal Government to invest in sustainable energy solutions.

She said governments at all levels should take action to create resilient energy infrastructure in the country.

“We should promote the implementation of renewable energy initiatives through public-private partnerships to improve access to energy across the country.

“There is a need to explore innovative solutions in the field of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydropower to complement the existing energy grid,” she said.

The APWEN President said that the development of smart grids and energy efficient technologies would ensure responsible use of resources and reduction of carbon footprint.

Mrs Osim further said that APWEN is ready to work with the government to find lasting solutions to the energy crisis in the country.

In his speech, Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum, said his ministry was ready to support efforts that would enable women engineers to play a role in technology and innovation.

Represented by his Technical Assistant, Biowe Kurokinyinanya, Mr Lokpobiri called on female engineers to take a leading role in developing solutions to the country’s technological challenges.

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River also stated in his speech that the state is open to cooperation with APWEN in all areas that will promote the quality of services provided to the people.

Represented by Ekpenyong Cobham, Commissioner for Transport, Mr Otu urged women engineers to make contributions that would lead to quality project delivery.

APWEN, a chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, was founded in 1982 and inaugurated in 1983.

(NAN)