By Dele Ogbodo
In what can be regarded as a bold shift towards a proactive initiative to address the gender imbalance in Nigeria’s engineering space, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) through the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT) have concluded arrangement to develop female leaders via the launch of ‘developing engineering leaders through HER’ aka DELTA HER.
Addressing a cross section of engineers, stakeholders including the media at the Corporate Headquarters of NASENI in Abuja, on Friday, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC)/CEO, of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Halilu, said the portal will be opened tomorrow (Saturday March 9) through which female innovators and engineers can showcase their creativity, adding this will no doubt contribute to addressing the gender gap in the country’s engineering sectors.
On the choice of the day to coincide with the 2024 International Women’s Day (IWD), for the launch, he said: “DELT-HER is what I call an “opportunity platform”, through which girls and young women can pitch and present their exciting and groundbreaking engineering ideas, for funding by NASENI, through PICTT.
“What we seek to do is close the gender gap in engineering, inspire the next generation, provide financing support for new ideas and projects, and ultimately strengthen the entire engineering ecosystem.
“As you might be aware, women make up half of the population of Nigeria. What this should ideally mean is that women should make up half of all professional spaces in the country. Ideally. But this is far from the reality.”
According to the EVC, the global average for female repesentation in engineering is 28%, which is only a little above 1 in 4, adding that in Nigeria, it’s only 5%, which translates to only one in 20 Nigerian engineers is a woman.
Coincidentally, he said it was in December 2023 that the NSE elected, Mrs. Margaret Oguntala as the first female President in Nigeria’s engineering history, making her the 34th President of the NSE. This gives one an idea of the starkness of the gender imbalance in the sector, he added.
“It is this imbalance that DELT-HER seeks to correct, by focusing attention and funding on young women, and very importantly, creating and cultivating public awareness around the need to train and mentor more women into the engineering professions.
“This awareness component of the work is one that we will take very seriously, working through schools, and storytelling campaigns.
“We intend to, through DELT-HER, double the number of female engineers in Nigeria over the next 5 years. This will mean working extensively at the level of secondary education, which is where young girls make the vital decisions regarding choice of professional field.
“It may also be possible to inspire more women to consider studying engineering as a second degree, like we see more commonly in the legal and medical fields. We hope that through our support, we can make the much needed difference.” He said.
Very importantly, Halilu, said the agency, wants to contribute to the economic growth and development of Nigeria.
DELT-HER, according to the EVC, will create jobs and help develop technical skills and capabilities, adding: “We hope that every additional woman engineer that is emerging can become a role model for another set of women.
“It is especially fitting that the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is “Inspire Inclusion.” That’s what DELT-HER is all about: inspiration, inclusion, access, diversity.
“NASENI is very proud to be the partner helping to transform the landscape of engineering in Nigeria, by making it more diverse and inclusive.
“I would like to encourage as many young women as possible to apply when the pitching portal opens tomorrow, and I wish you the very best. “
While thanking NASENI and PICTT for the idea, the NSE President, acknowledged that the initiative represents a pivotal moment in the stakeholders’ efforts to foster gender inclusion and empower women in the field of engineering.
She said: “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Presidential Implementation Committee and the National Agency for their unwavering commitment to advancing the role of women in engineering.
Oguntola, however, admitted that there is still much to be work to be done, said “Your dedication and foresight have laid the groundwork for this groundbreaking initiative, and I commend you for your leadership in this important endeavor.
“As we gather here today, it is essential to reflect on the significance of gender diversity in engineering. While we have made significant strides in recent years to promote inclusivity and equal opportunity, there is still much work to be done.
“Women remain significantly underrepresented in the engineering workforce, facing barriers and challenges that hinder their full participation and advancement in the field.”
She said, the “Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her” initiative seeks to address these challenges and unlock the full potential of women in engineering. Through targeted interventions, mentorship programs, leadership development initiatives, and advocacy efforts, we aim to empower women engineers to excel in their careers, assume leadership roles, and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of our profession and society as a whole.
The PICTT, Dr. Mohammed Dahiru, in a remark, said PICTT, in the quest to fulfil the bilateral agreement between Nigeria and the Czech Republic has in the last two years been sponsoring Research and Development projects nationwide under the Delta-2 programme.
According to him, it in taking a further step forward on the Delta-2 programme, the Committee is throwing the weight of its support behind women, through the DELT-Her project.
He said: “The project is focused on encouraging more female participation in Nigeria’s engineering sector. Recent statistics reveal the dire need for deliberate actions to be targeted at the existing gender imbalance in this sector, to inspire inclusion while also expanding contribution channels to the nation’s GDP.
“The Committee, through the continuous support of NASENI is determined to fund innovative and commercially viable ideas in engineering and technology, proposed by women.
“Therefore, today’s launch of call for proposals from young women, marks the beginning of a chain of events which are expected to lead to engineering start-up companies owned and run by women.
“To support the actualization of the birth of multiple start-up companies from ideas selected under this project, each successful applicant will be matched with female mentors who are industry giants both in engineering and business. It is firmly believed that the shoulders of these giants will provide the supportive environment that is required for success.
“The submission portal for proposals will go live from tomorrow and proposals will be accepted till 20th May when submission closes. This will be followed by a period of evaluation and selection of qualified innovations for sponsorship.”
According to the Chariman, the the success stories from this collaborative effort will be effectively projected to enthuse young females all over the country about the choice of a career in engineering.
“We seek as always, the complete buy-in of all the strategic engineering practitioners and bodies nationwide, to ensure that the seed being sown today is nurtured into a forest of fruitful trees.” He said.
