OWSD NIGERIA NATIONAL CHAPTER HELD 5TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE ON 14TH -17TH JUNE 2021@MICHAEL OKPARA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, UMUDIKE

June 28, 2021

ABRIDGED COMMUNIQUE OF THE 5TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF OWSD NIGERIA NATIONAL CHAPTER HELD 14TH -17TH JUNE 2021@MOUAU

The conference had the theme ‘Making research count in national development: the role of women scientists’, and had participants from 14 states in Nigeria including Lagos, Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi  well as the FCT.  showing in the pictures below are: University of Port Harcourt Participants , Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Participants, FUTO and UNIZIK participants.

At the opening ceremony which was well attended by many eminent personalities, the LOC Chairperson Professor Olayinka Nwachukwu saluted the tenacity of the host Branch, OWSD Umudike, which made the Conference a reality despite an initial postponement due to the pandemic. The Chairperson of OWSD Nigeria Chapter, Professor Ibiyinka Fuwape who participated virtually, hailed the diversity and spread of members of Nigeria Chapter, acknowledging this to be her strength. She also commended OWSD Umudike Branch for hosting a successful conference.

The keynote address was delivered by Dr Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of Forum for Agricultural Services in Africa (FARA). Speaking on ‘Breaking the glass ceiling’, he commended women scientists for their recorded successes in all spheres of science and emphasised the urgent need to upscale research focusing on food sufficiency. Lead speakers, Prof Chinedum Babalola (Vice Chancellor Chrisland University, Abeokuta) and Dr Omobola Awosika Oyeleye (University of Texas at Houston, USA) captivated the audience as they spoke on ‘Science has no Gender’ and ‘Without limitations’ respectively. Plenary speakers, Professor Nkadi Onyegegbu (University of Nigeria, Nsukka) and Mrs Ada Nworie (Protem Healthcare, Ohio, USA) gave exciting Talks on Science Education vs Policy making and the Impact of the pandemic on the mental health of women.

A total of 244 persons, 37 of whom were students registered for the dual mode conference, and participated either physically or virtually. FARA Africa hosted the conference on their Zoom platform and engaged in a seamless collaboration with on –site IT personnel to deliver top notch technical quality of virtual presentations. Two hundred and twenty six full length research papers were published in the Conference Proceedings under ten different sub-themes with the number of papers as follows: Applied Physical Sciences (19); Agricultural Sciences and productivity (48); Biomedical and Public Health (66); Biotechnology and Nanotechnology (8); Environment and climate change (11); Engineering and Innovation (2); Food safety and value chain (9); Mainstreaming Gender in Scientific Research (6); Science Education (15); and Socioeconomic Research, Sustainable development and Community related issues (42).

The conference resolved as follows:

1. Women scientists should be empowered with enabling laws such that their findings will be incorporated into science and technology policy framework if research is to count in national development.
2. OWSD Nigeria Chapter must develop programmes such as will encourage inclusive participation by all the branches in the country.
3. Urgent effort should be fostered by OWSD Nigeria to sustain both formal and informal mentorship programmes as women scientists.
4. OWSD Nigeria should continue, and indeed intensify her on- going campaign for girl child education while encouraging female students to take up careers in science. 
5. Women scientists should through their research output, address emerging issues such as pandemics, climate change, food insufficiency and gender issues, in order to maintain relevance in national development.

Photo gallery