The world over, gender gap in science and engineering practice has grown to a very worrisome dimension. The world average of female engineers is 28 per cent. In Nigeria, it is just five per cent. In Nigeria, the gender imbalance has not augured well for our national development as it has affected the female engineering contribution to job, wealth creation and national development.
To close this gap, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technological Transfer (PICTT) recently joined hands to develop a new initiative to fund female Nigerian engineers and scientists tagged: Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her (DELT-Her).
The DELT-Her initiative, a subset of Delta 2 Programme of NASENI and PICTT, is floated to close the gender gap in engineering practice in the country, inspire next generation of female engineers, provide financing support for new ideas and projects, translating them into viable businesses and ultimately, to strengthen the entire engineering ecosystem.
The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu said the Agency through this initiative is determined to increase the number of female engineers in the country by 100 per cent annually and double the number over the next five years.
Mr. Halilu, who is passionate about the initiative, said what women need is support and this programme is deliberate to bring more support, more funding to promote the number of women engineers. Launched on International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2024 at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja, prospective female engineers can apply through https//delther.pictt.gov.ng portal and get funding and mentorship.
According to the NASENI boss, “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 in partnership with PICTT. We have carved out funding for this, therefore, all women in engineering can apply through the portal that has been opened and we will do all our possible best to support.”
The Chairman of PICTT, Dr. Mohammed Dahiru stated that the quest to fulfil the bilateral agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Czech Republic has in the last two years been sponsoring Research and Development (R&D) projects nationwide under the Delta-2 Programme.
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, which is focused on encouraging more female participation in Nigeria’s engineering sector. He noted that recent statistics revealed 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 Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He emphasized that, “The Committee, through continuous support of NASENI is determined to fund innovative and commercially viable ideas in engineering and technology-oriented proposals by women. The 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”.
Dr. Dahiru, said that 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”, he emphasized.
He, however, stated that the submission portal for proposals will be accepted till 20th May when submission closes and this will be followed by a period of evaluation and selection of qualified innovations for sponsorship.
Also speaking at the launch of the initiative, the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engineer Margaret Aina Oguntala said women remain significantly underrepresented in the engineering workforce, facing barriers and challenges that hinder their full participation and advancement in the field.
Engr. Oguntala said the DELT-Her initiative seeks to addresschallenges and unlock the full potential of women in engineering; through targeted interventions, mentorship programmes, leadership development initiatives and advocacy efforts.
It aims 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. “Let us work together with determination, dedication, and resolve to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes and create a future where every aspiring engineer, regardless of gender has the opportunity to thrive and succeed”, she remarked.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Senator Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi also said that engineering is multi-tasking and women can do it better than men. “I am a big supporter of this programme going on today. We must ensure that we give credit to our women, we must ensure that we remove cultural biases and let the women take their rightful places, so, I am filling in as number one in this project.”
Having oversight responsibility over NASENI, he assured he would diligently do his oversight to make sure that women take their rightful positions in the area of science and technology.
Also at the event was the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Citizenship and Leadership, Rinsola Abiola, who wished NASENI and the PICTT committee success in implementing this initiative very actively because according to her, “I am passionate about women leadership across all sectors and engineering.. I commend the NASENI leadership because it has been a revolution since the EVC came and every single day, there is an update on NASENI.”
The Chairperson, Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, (APWEN) Abuja Chapter, Engineer, Mrs. Katume Giwa said DELT-Her initiative is laudable, commendable and timely. Quoting Chuli Chi Chung as saying, ‘If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring your folding chair’, she said “I am here to say that the EVC/CEO has graciously prepared a table for women and put golden feet around the table.
“Therefore, APWEN is here to say that you will have our full support and we are going to mobilize all of these women to take advantage of the DELT-Her Initiative,” she added. NASENI’s mission is to establish and nurture appropriate and dynamic science and engineering Infrastructure-base for achieving home-initiated and home-sustained industrialization.
This is through the development of relevant processes, capital goods and equipment necessary for job creation, national economic well-being as well as to create an enabling knowledge-driven environment for local mass production of standard parts, goods and services required for the nation’s technological advancement
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