Dr. Adetola Salau has relayed her experience when she attended the second edition of the Annual International Manufacturing Convention & Exhibition (IMCE-2023) in Cairo, Egypt.

IMCE-2023 was organized under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Federation of Egyptian Industries from 28th to 30th October 2023, in the Al Manara International Conferences and Exhibitions Center, New Cairo. The edition presented an array of panels, insightful discussions, and a comprehensive exhibition which were spotlight vital for industrial sectors, including construction, textiles, leather, IT, and various others.

Dr. Adetola Salau, the Founder of Carisma4U Educational Foundation and former Senior Special Assistant on Education to the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the trip was thrilling and educative.

She added that visiting Egypt to see the sights had been a lifelong dream, and that IMCE-2023 had made that dream come true.

Speaking on the event via her verified LinkedIn profile, she said, "exactly one week ago, I attended the Annual International Manufacturing Convention & Exhibition (IMCE-2023) in Cairo, Egypt. It has always been a dream of mine to visit Egypt and it came true in 2023.

"Not too many people know that I have a background in Engineering; I have two Master’s degrees in Engineering. I focus greatly on Education; Math and Science Education to be more precise. This led to a lot of people asking why I am attending a Manufacturing convention.
"What most people don’t realize is that I am a firm believer in practical solutions to boosting our economies in Africa. I am a firm supporter of technical colleges and majority of the work that I have been carrying out since I began working on the transformation of the Nigerian educational system is centered around the formulation of a sustainable education model to drive the creation of a pipeline of a technical workforce that would make our economy viable and productive.

"During the opening ceremony of the convention, the President of Egypt, Mr. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi spoke to the participants who came from all over the world of his vision of creating a technical workforce. He has a vision of creating 1,000 technical schools around Egypt but wants to start with a 100 of them immediately as a pilot programme. He was quite passionate about this and spoke without referring to any notes. During the ceremony, specific companies from various sectors were showcased and he asked the CEOs incisive questions about their day to day work, revenue and the products that they made. His knowledge of industry and its manifold effect on the economy of Egypt was apparent.

"What got me really excited was his focus on the creation of the pipeline for more manufacturing workers. This leads to more exports for the country; which drives higher revenue for the economy. That he saw that direct correlation and was addressing it through policy and direct action made me long to replicate the same back in Nigeria.

Throughout the rest of the convention and exhibition, I met with different directors of technical schools that already existed and were models that the President was planning to build upon. I already began talks around collaboration and meetings to drive this.

"It was a trip to remember and I am looking forward to visiting Egypt back again soon."

Dr. Adetola Ariyike Salau is a social innovator and educator passionate about applying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills to break the cycle of poverty in Africa and most especially Nigeria. She is driven by the desire to prepare students in Africa for the future and does this by teaching them how to innovate solutions that will propel their economic prosperity.
Her foundation, Carisma4U Educational Foundation is a platform that advocates for STEM education by organizing programme to help young people embrace STEM subjects as critical tools for improving lives and driving development.
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