On Wednesday 16th February, 2022, Landmark University Female Faculty and Student Scientists converged at the University’s International Exhibition Centre to commemorate 2022 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)’s Global Women Breakfast with a webinar themed, “Empowering Diversity in Science”. 

Declaring the event open while giving her remarks, the acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Charity Aremu charges women scientists to embrace diversity in science to further enhance their research activities and career pursuits. Professor Aremu described the theme of the meeting as apt, noting global changes and demands. “Diversity in science is what we must embrace because the world is changing and the way to follow the change is to bring up changes in our research focus and academic attention”, she added. 

In addition, she prevailed that investment in education is a must for every nation and according to her, to record major national development, government at all levels must begin to invest in science. “Promoting science is one of the things that we as a university must drive; diversity is everywhere, so we must embrace whatever will harness our cultural diversity, academic diversity and event natural diversity. Also, there must be a forum to address these diversities so that we can achieve results that will advance our nation”, Professor Aremu noted.  

In her presentation titled, “Empowering Diversity in Science: The Role of Chemistry and Related Science in the Attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Professor Abiodun Eletta of the University of Ilorin stated that Chemical processes play unique roles in attaining most, if not all the Sustainable Development Goals. According to her, chemistry could offer a broad spectrum of services and products essential for daily living that are safe, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Professor Eletta, thereafter, mentored female Faculty on ways to blend career, family and personal lives perfectly without any aspect left unattended. 

The second presenter, Professor Beatrice Opeolu while speaking on her topic “Empowering Diversity in Science: Grant/Funding Opportunities for Chemistry and Related Sciences”, made it known that any nation that fail to empower women deprives herself of the development achievable by half of her populace. For optimum career attainment and funding opportunities, Professor Opeolu identified lifelong learning, active participation in professional community and mentoring as the three factors to be embraced. She later proceeded to reveal some practical steps and areas of attracting grant/fund opportunities in chemistry and other related sciences. Professor Beatrice Opeolu of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology advised women scientists not to be limited by their generic factors but rather take advantage of their gender privileges to advance their career. 

Earlier, the Dean College of Pure and Applied Sciences, Landmark University Professor Ayodele Adebiyi in his welcome remarks appreciated the consistency of Global Women Breakfast workshop in Landmark University over the years being spearheaded by women faculty in the industrial chemistry programme in the Department of Physical Sciences. He, thereafter, enjoined participants to take advantage of the empowerment opportunity the webinar offered. 

Prior to the event, some members of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) paid a courtesy call on the acting Vice-Chancellor, Landmark University Professor Charity Aremu in her office.