L-R: Rep. Exec. Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Boniface Odey; Rep., Ministry of Information & Culture,Odo Pascal Tochukwu; Rep., Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment, Abuja, Ejeh Dennis; JBN’s Managing Director, Engr. Dr. Lars Richter; some of the JBN Scholarship Awardees; Uche Dorathy Chinelo, Nabila Balogun and Obi Alexis; JBN’s Exec. Dir. Admin., Alhaji Zubairu Ibrahim Bayi; JBN’s Chief Risk Officer, Mrs. Shakira Mustapha; Rep.,Dragnet Solutions Limited, Gladys Etcheri; Rep., Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Umar N. Lafai and JBN’sHead Of Human Resources Dept., Mr. Olorunfemi Ojomo at the Julius Berger Female engineering scholarship award event inAbuja, recently.
By Our Reporter
In furtherance of its proactive and development-oriented CSR policy, engineeringconstruction leader, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has kicked off an initiative to develop thecapacities of Nigerian womenfolk by awarding scholarships to females engineering studentsto assist the actualisation of their quest for university degrees in their chosen engineeringfield.
Speaking at an award event recently held in Abuja, the Executive Director, Administration,Alhaji Zubairu Ibrahim Bayi emphasised the important place of women in nationaldevelopment. According to Bayi, “…It is generally recognized that when a woman iseducated and empowered, her organization or employers, her family and her communityare placed on a veritable pedestal of real development.” He added, “This is even as hercountry’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) becomes increased and enhanced.” Bayi further said that it is in Julius Berger’s recognition of the above strategic reality that thecompany actively celebrates the International Women’s Day as part of JBN’s annualcalendared activities. “…our company, however, seeks to move beyond just mountingpodiums to celebrate the International Women’s Day. Julius Berger seeks to furtherenhance the company’s and country’s productivity by proactively taking initiatives todevelop the capacities of the Nigerian woman, by creating a level playing ground forwomen and indeed the girl child. To give effect to the above objective, the company hasdecided on the scholarship scheme to assist women in the technical disciplines”, Bayistated.The Julius Berger women empowerment scholarship scheme, Bayi also said, aims to fosterthe inclusion and participation of women in the otherwise generally male-dominatedconstruction industry, adding that the pioneer scheme is for female engineering students intheir second year of study in both States and Federal Universities across the Country.
Explaining how the scheme will operate, Alhaji Bayi said, “Applicants of the scheme arechosen at their second year of study after a rigorous assessment exercise. A cash grant ofN100,000 is awarded annually to the selected candidates from their 200-level of study tilltheir year of graduation, provided they continue to meet the qualification criteria ofremaining in school, in the same course of study and not scoring below the qualifyingCumulative Grade Point Average, CGPA, until graduation”.Bayi disclosed that of the 86 candidates selected from various institutions of higher learningand diverse backgrounds, four of the awardees were present at the event for physicalpresentation. He emphasised that, “it is the vision of the company’s management that theJulius Berger Women Empowerment Scholarship Scheme shall progressively be an annualevent and will grow both in count of beneficiaries and number of construction relateddisciplines, such as architecture, quantity surveying, land surveying, and others to beconsidered for the awards.In its goodwill message to the event, the National Universities Commission (NUC), throughthe representative of the Executive Secretary, Mr. Boniface Odey, commended the initiativeby Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. Mr Odey, who is a personnel of the NUC’s Directorate ofStudents Affairs said, “as a regulatory agency that is charged with the responsibility ofensuring quality university education in Nigeria, we appreciate this laudable initiative offemale scholarship awards by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc to deserving students in ourUniversities”. Odey added that the initiative will also serve as an encouragement to aspiringfemale Nigerians who may erroneously think that engineering is majorly a course for theirmale counterparts. “I want to commend Julius Berger for giving back to Nigerians in thislaudable way.
Over time, I’ve realized that the company is noted for its track record inholistic service covering planning, design, engineering construction and maintenance ofinfrastructures”, he added.
.In his remarks at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Daju Kachollom, said, “over the years, Julius Berger has been in the forefrontof development of this country through its activities in the construction industry. It hasreduced unemployment by providing direct and indirect jobs to thousands of Nigerians andother foreign nationals”. He added that, “…this scholarship, which is given to female students will no doubt bridge the gender gap in the Nigerian engineering work space in thenear future, because these females will graduate to take up jobs and leadership positions inthe society.” Noting that Women represent half of the population in most societies and should therefore have every opportunity to be the best versions of themselves at all times, the Permanent Secretary projected that better results will mean increased well-being for both menand women, and the creation of a more socially just and sustainable Nigerian society.
The Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Engr. Dr. Lars Richter, was personally present at the event also along with the Executive Director Admin, Alhaji Zubairu IbrahimBayi. Other company officials present at the event included the Chief Risk Officer of thecompany, Mrs Shakira Mustapha, the Head, Human Resources, Olorunfemi Ojomo and theHead of Corporate Communications Department, Mr. James Agama, amongst others.
