The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT) have taken the initiative to enhance the status of women in the engineering sector by promoting inclusivity with the launch of the second phase of Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her (DELT-Her) 2.0 proposal portal.
Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her (DELT-Her) is an initiative that seeks to create opportunities for women in engineering, by attracting and supporting innovative engineering ideas which would ultimately be mentored and developed into startup companies.
The success stories from the first phase of this initiative are encouraging school-age girls across the country, with the aim of creating a paradigm shift to favor their choice of engineering as a lifelong career. DELT-Her is inspired by global projects from the Anita Borg Institute, Girl Up! at the UN Foundation, Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia among others.
The launch of DELT-Her 2.0 proposal portal, www.delther.pictt.gov.ng, at NASENI headquarters on Monday, May 19, 2025, demonstrate the federal government’s quest to promote female engineering by supporting women-led innovation. This brilliant initiative was crystalized from the innovative mind of the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu in his quest to champion Nigeria’s future that will be more productive through scientific contributions of women.
DELT-Her is a significant initiative driven by a vision where women are given the opportunity to lead, innovate, and transform the country. It is a bold step toward gender balance that empowers women to shape Nigeria’s technological destiny. During the launch of the DELT-Her proposal portal, the NASENI boss emphasized the goal of doubling the number of female engineers in Nigeria within five years even as he described DELT-Her as a movement encouraging women to lead, with NASENI offering support through funding, mentorship, and exposure to global platforms.
“DELT-Her is fueling a wave of women-led solutions to Nigeria’s toughest challenges,” he said. Citing past success stories such as AI-driven soil monitoring, drone-based security systems, and eco-friendly brake pads, he said over N70.5 million was awarded to six female engineers in the first phase in 2024 with more support planned in second phase of 2025.
Mr. Halilu added that NASENI is partnering PICTT and the Czech Republic’s Technology Agency to foster a thriving innovation ecosystem for women. This initiative has become necessary to correct the poor record of women in the engineering sector. It is on record that in Nigeria, women make up just five per cent of engineers, which is one in twenty — while the global average is 28 per cent. This imbalance according to Halilu is not just a challenge, but also an opportunity to unleash the untapped potential of half our population.
DELT-Her is a clarion call to promote women in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to ensure every girl and woman knows she belongs at the forefront of innovation in line with the stated objectives of the EVC to make NASENI a beacon for gender balance, where women’s ideas drive progress that resonates locally and globally.
Mr. Halilu had buttressed that DELT-Her is a movement that invites every woman to lead, knowing they have NASENI’s support to turn their vision into impact. DELT-Her is fueling a wave of women-led solutions to Nigeria’s toughest challenges and bringing the best out of women.
The central objectives of the initiative are: To address the existing gender imbalance in the study and practice of engineering and technology in Nigeria, by sponsoring the innovative ideas of young, female engineers; To foster a more inclusive and diverse engineering practice landscape in Nigeria.
Others are: To build a collaborative network of stakeholders including tertiary institutions, business, and industry leaders, who would enable a more supportive environment for women in engineering; and to inspire the next generation of female engineers in Nigeria by making female engineering success stories more visible to them.
Since launching the DELT-Her initiative first phase on March 8, 2024, there have been remarkable projects that emerged ranging from AI-driven soil monitoring, drone-based security systems and brake pads made from organic waste. These were not just ideas, but proofs of what women can achieve when given the chance. Through DELT-Her, women are given enormous opportunities to get grants, mentorship, and global platforms, like the AFRILab Gathering in Cape Town, to amplify women’s voices.
Among the success stories of the 2024 DELT-Her 1.0 cohort winners were Engr. Rukkaya Abdulmutalib who developed an ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) Censored Machine to Monitor Soil Health for Green-Houses’; Patience Janda-Ibrahim, who produced ‘Automobile Brake Pads from Organic Waste’; and Engr. Amina Ibrahim Khalil and Engr. Hauwa Ibrahim Khalil who developed AI-enabled ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drones) for Intelligent Real-time Security Monitoring, Target Tracking and Proving Early Warning’.
Other are: Engr. Dr. Kudirat Oyewumi Jimoh who designed and produced ‘Electronic Training Board/Device for Science and Engineering Students’; Engr. Dr. Ikechukwu Ijeoma Francisca who developed ‘Automatic Bambara Flour Processing Machine’ ; and Engr. Abisola Ayomide Olayiwola designed and produced ‘Solar-powered Snail Shelling Machine’.
It is apt that NASENI, PICTT and other relevant bodies and international collaborators are bridging digital divides by partnering with the Czech Republic’s Technology Agency and creating an ecosystem where women’s innovation thrives. In DELT-Her first phase, over 120 applications were received where NASENI awarded N70.5 million to six female engineers whose projects are setting new standards. With DELT-Her 2.0, NASENI and its partners are accelerating this momentum through more funding, more mentorship and more opportunities for women to lead.
In order to strengthen the initiative, NASENI and PICTT are aiming to double the number of female engineers in Nigeria within five years, thereby advancing gender balance and building a stronger, more inclusive engineering sector. This is based on the premise that every grant, every project and every woman’s success are a milestone in Nigeria’s transformation. This has opened the floodgate for more women to unite and pull their resources together in various communities and become leading lights in STEM, contributing meaningfully to the nation’s economic development.
The good thing is that NASENI is at the forefront and the women are learning and learning faster and with more support, the sky appears to be their limit. The Agency under Halilu has become the inspiration to all aspiring women as they dream to become the scientific force of action, the pace of progress and DELT-Her has come at the right moment. NASENI and PICTT are connecting people, accelerating impact, and promoting women as the heart of Nigeria’s innovation to build a balanced future.
It was also apt that Chairman of PICTT, Dr. Mohammed Dahiru, in his remarks, described DELT-Her as a flagship project aimed at empowering women, breaking gender barriers, and reshaping Nigeria’s technological future. This highlighted the urgent need to raise the participation of women in engineering to push up the percentage of women both locally and globally.
This initiative, Dr. Dahiru noted, will not only fund successful applicants but also provide mentorship from industry leaders to help transform ideas into viable startups while acknowledging the support from the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the success stories from the first cohort of DELT-Her recipients.
The National Assembly during the 2025 proposal portal launch brought its quota to the initiative when the Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Sen. Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi, pledged the Senate’s continued support for women engineers and scientists, saying it has become imperative that all the legislative support and action needed to spur the women must be put in place by both the federal and state legislative arms of government.
For the Minister of Women Affairs, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Maryam Chira Keshinro, the initiative is a strategic step towards inclusive innovation and national development, adding that it addresses structural inequalities while improving access to capital and mentorship for women in science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM).
President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntola, represented by Engr. Mistura Adenike Rafiu pledged ongoing support for NASENI and PICTT’s efforts in promoting STEM education.
Other speakers including Senior Special Assistant to the President on Citizens and Leadership, Mrs. Rinsola Abiola; and the Pioneer Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat, FCTA, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins- Laniyi commended the DELT-Her initiative and called on female engineers to continue striving for equality in the engineering profession.
The DELT-Her portal has opened for applications on www.delther.pictt.gov.ng and will close on July 31st 2025. DELT-Her creates new pathways for Nigerian women in engineering to build, lead, and scale tech solutions with practical, real-world relevance. DELT-Her provides female engineers and scientists with the necessary tools, platforms, and support to thrive in the fields that have traditionally been male-dominated. Selected projects will not only challenge the status quo but also have the potential to address real-world problems.
The initiative has become the cornerstone and the way forward for women emancipation in the very crucial sector like engineering. Nigeria and the global community stand to benefit from this flagship programme pioneered and funded by NASENI and partners.
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