The MTN Foundation and Womenovate have joined forces to promote greater inclusion of women and girls in tech and engineering fields, in a push to bridge Nigeria’s gender gap in science and technology.
This drive came to the fore at the 4th Women in Tech and Engineering Summit held in Abuja on Monday, where students, professionals, and policymakers gathered to dismantle cultural barriers, advocate for equal opportunities, and empower the next generation of female innovators through mentorship, skills development, and targeted investments in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields
Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, emphasised during an interview that empowering women through STEM is not just a social issue, but a national priority.
“As a nation, Nigeria is playing catch-up. One thing that can help us leapfrog development is STEM. That’s why platforms like Womenovate are so important,” she said.
Sanya outlined the MTN Foundation’s ongoing contributions to STEM education, revealing that the organisation had invested ₦32 billion in development initiatives nationwide, with ₦4 billion directed towards STEM scholarships alone.
She added that 28 science laboratories had been upgraded in the past year, and skills platforms created to help both STEM and non-STEM graduates acquire technical expertise.
“Mentorship is key. We are bridging the gap by working with platforms like Womenovate to build a pipeline of confident, capable women in science and technology”, Sanya stressed.
Motunrayo Opayinka, Founder and CEO of Womenovate, described the summit as more than a gathering, it’s a strategic advocacy platform.
Read also: LASG backs fire safety conference to mitigate risk – Commissioner
“Mentorship really matters. Seeing is believing. By bringing MTN Foundation scholars and secondary school students together with seasoned professionals, we’re creating visibility and access for young girls”, Opayinka stated.
She explained that Womenovate also reaches girls in underserved communities through outreach programmes and digital mentorship platforms, a crucial approach in tackling regional imbalances in access to STEM resources.
Among the inspiring voices was Goodness Eba, an electronics and communication engineer who specializes in embedded systems, IoT, and robotics.
After studying in India, she returned to Nigeria and now teaches robotics in primary and secondary schools.
Eba shared her excitement about the summit’s inclusion of both tech and engineering.
“Most times, when people say women in tech, they are referring to software, data, or AI. This is one of the few platforms where engineering, hardware, robotics, and embedded systems are also in focus and that’s why I’m here”, she stated.
She also noted the networking and mentorship opportunities as some of the most valuable aspects of the summit, revealing that past events had directly helped her connect with mentors and collaborators.
But her journey hasn’t been without challenges. “I’ve been told I act like a man simply for being an engineer. Sometimes, you’re not even given a chance to prove your worth.
There’s always this need to prove yourself, to be seen as capable enough to be included in projects”, she shared.
Eba also highlighted the critical role of government intervention in scaling STEM education.
“I work with schools, but many can’t afford the necessary robotics or electronic kits. Some don’t even have standard science labs,” she said.
She called on the government to support schools by equipping labs and funding student projects, similar to what she experienced in India where the government funded student innovations from ideation to completion.
“We need a system where students can propose a robotics idea and get government support to build it.
“Agencies like National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) are doing great work, but it needs to go deeper especially into the school level”, she stated.
Panelists including Busola Perez-Folayan, Head of the NASENI Innovation Hub, addressed the cultural and systemic issues that discourage women from entering STEM fields.
“Some cultures discourage women from entering science or engineering. But once we shift mindsets, we unlock the potential.
“NASENI is supporting initiatives like the DELTA program and Future Makers by Nseni to fund and mentor young women”, she said.
Echoing this, Paul Jemitola, CEO of Vector Aeronautics Ltd, emphasided the importance of representation.
“Only 30% of startups globally have women on their boards. Events like this are vital to changing that,” he noted, urging young girls to actively seek out opportunities and use the internet as a tool for growth.
Stakeholders agreed that solving the gender gap in STEM requires a multi-layered strategy, mentorship, skills training, funding, advocacy, and most importantly, internal motivation.
“The first incentive is internal. If a woman doesn’t believe in herself, no scholarship will help. But once she decides to rise, the system must be ready to support her”, Sanya said.
Themed around increasing female participation in STEM and breaking gender and cultural barriers, the event featured high-impact panel sessions, hands-on showcases, and mentorship opportunities aimed at demystifying STEM and showing young women what’s possible.
