IWD: Agubata Seeks Stronger Alumni Networks to Expand Opportunities for Women, ,
Funmi Ogundare
Former President of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, Dr Felicia Agubata, has called for stronger, well-structured alumni networks to serve as powerful platforms for mentorship, career growth, and social support.
Agubata stated this at a webinar themed, ‘Investing in Women: Turning Alumni Networks into Opportunity Engines’, organised by the Command Secondary School Ojo Alumni Association, 1994 set, to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD).
She stressed the importance of leveraging school connections to create opportunities for women and girls.
According to the guest speaker, alumni networks should go beyond social reunions and nostalgia, saying that when properly harnessed, they can become dynamic opportunity engines that provide scholarships, internships, business partnerships and leadership opportunities.
“Connections, mentorship and opportunities often push certain groups forward. When alumni networks are activated with purpose, they become powerful platforms that open doors to scholarships, internships, funding, board seats and partnerships,” she said.
Agubata, a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), noted that many women who have broken barriers in education, business, and leadership have benefited from strong support systems built through friendships, mentorship, and alumni connections.
She also highlighted the importance of investing in girls through education, mentorship and strategic support systems, stressing that such investments yield significant benefits for families and communities.
“When a girl receives quality education, she earns more, marries later, has healthier children and reinvests up to 90 per cent of her income back into her family and community,” she explained.
Agubata, who is an advocate for women and girls in STEM, added that when educated girls grow into empowered women who maintain strong connections, they build networks that uplift others and create opportunities for younger generations.
She stated that investments in girls and women should not be limited to financial assistance, stressing that mentorship, guidance, knowledge sharing and emotional support are equally important.
Highlighting the challenges faced by women at different stages of life, she cited issues such as academic pressures among young girls, balancing career and family for working mothers, and health concerns and retirement planning among older women.
She said alumni networks could play a critical role in addressing these challenges through peer support, business referrals, internship opportunities and professional mentorship.
Drawing on experiences within alumni associations, Agubata recalled how members helped each other secure employment opportunities and financial support during difficult periods, including the COVID-19 pandemic, when some individuals lost their sources of income.
She urged alumni groups to organise their networks more strategically by documenting members’ professions and creating structured platforms for easily sharing opportunities.
“If we know where members work and the skills they have, it becomes easier to connect people to internships, jobs, medical support and business opportunities,” she said.
Agubata also advised alumni associations to create mentorship platforms, scholarship initiatives and small investment pools to support members facing financial or career challenges.
While encouraging alumni groups to celebrate members’ achievements, she cautioned that such platforms must also remain inclusive and supportive of members facing difficulties.
“Our networks are already gold mines. We only need to mine them intentionally,” she said, urging members to harness the class strength, reach out to one another and also leverage the opportunity they have among themselves that members could benefit from.
A member of the association, Dr Kunle Megbuwawon, also underscored health issues affecting women, particularly menopause, urging women to be attentive to the signs and seek proper medical guidance.
He advised that women who have reached menopause should regularly consult their doctors and carry out hormonal profile tests to better understand their health condition.
According to him, women at that stage often require supplements to help regulate declining hormone levels.
“Majorly, women who have reached menopause need supplements that will increase their estrogen and progesterone. They also need to balance their diet and engage in regular exercise,” he said.
The association’s President, Babatope Samuel, expressed satisfaction, saying it provided alumni members with an opportunity to support and uplift one another.
He commended the speakers for sharing their knowledge and experiences, while assuring members that the association’s leadership would continue to carry everyone along in its activities.
“The best we can do is to be conscious of helping each other,” he stated.
, Education – THISDAYLIVE, March 11, 2026, 12:03 am
