Engr. Margaret Oguntala officially assumed office on January 1, 2024, as the first female president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in the association’s 65-year history.
Oguntala, elected on December 21, 2023, as the association’s 34th president, took over from former President Tasiu Gidari-Wudil.
Speaking on her assumption of office, Oguntala said, “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.”
She also shared her vision for the association in the new year and beyond. “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.
As an NSE veteran, she has been a member since 1996 and a fellow since 2010. Serving 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. She is also the founder of BAMSAT Nigeria Limited and a board director of several companies.
In a formal statement, the NSE declared, “It’s a new dawn in the history of the Nigerian Society of Engineers as the 33rd president, Engr. 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.”
The statement further reads, “Mrs. 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.”
Oguntala’s assumption of office signals a significant milestone for stability in the NSE. An interlocutory injunction on the activities of the association towards the end of 2023 had raised concerns. 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.
