A Growing Movement for Women in Engineering
Nigeria’s technology landscape is witnessing a quiet but significant shift, marked by the increasing participation of women in engineering and innovation. This change has gained renewed momentum as the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) announced the disbursement of N229 million to 14 women engineers under the second edition of its Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her (DELT-Her) initiative.
The award ceremony, held at NASENI headquarters in Abuja, attracted a wide array of government officials, industry leaders, and professional bodies. These stakeholders praised the programme as one of the country’s most promising interventions for strengthening indigenous innovation and expanding opportunities for women in engineering.
Expansion and Growth of DELT-Her
The programme, implemented in partnership with the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT), has rapidly grown in size and visibility. This year, 9,925 proposals were submitted, a dramatic increase from the 120 applications received during the first edition in 2024, when six awardees shared N70.5 million in grant support.
Khalil Suleiman Halilu, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of NASENI, highlighted that the surge in applications reflects rising interest among Nigerian women eager to develop engineering solutions that can address the country’s pressing socio-economic challenges. He described DELT-Her as an “opportunity platform through which women can turn bold engineering ideas into solutions that change the world.”
Halilu emphasized that gender inclusion is seen as a strategic investment in national development. “Every woman empowered through DELT-Her represents new capacity for the nation’s technology and manufacturing ecosystem with a unique perspective that drives better designs, smarter products and more human-centred innovation,” he said.
Diverse Projects and Broader Outreach
This year’s 14 selected projects spanned several key sectors, including agriculture, clean energy, health, mobility, digital security, and environmental sustainability. The programme has also expanded its outreach to younger girls in secondary schools.
From mentoring 30 schoolgirls in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 2024, DELT-Her expanded this year to 150 girls across Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the FCT. These initiatives included mentorship, bootcamps, and fabrication kits that enabled many of them to build their first engineering prototypes.
According to Halilu, the widening impact shows that DELT-Her is not limited to supporting professionals but is beginning to inspire a corps of future innovators.
Support from Key Figures
The Chairman of PICTT, Dr Mohammed Dahiru, praised the awardees for demonstrating the capacity and determination that women bring to the STEM space. He said their success reflects the importance of sustaining initiatives that close gender gaps in engineering and technology.
“Let us recommit to sustaining this momentum, ensuring that DELT-Her continues to bridge gaps and drive national development,” he said.
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, described DELT-Her as a defining moment in the country’s development journey. He argued that nations that exclude women from STEM effectively operate at half capacity.
“When we exclude women, we cut the country’s capacity in half; but when we empower women, we double our strength, creativity, and collective wisdom,” he said.
Institutional Backing and Future Prospects
The Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Udoka, commended NASENI and PICTT, saying their work aligns closely with the Federal Government’s agenda for technological independence, industrial growth, gender inclusion, and competitiveness. She emphasized that such initiatives will boost local content development, create jobs, and strengthen the country’s economic standing.
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) also conveyed strong institutional support for the programme. Its President, Engr. Margaret Oguntala, expressed her satisfaction with the expansion to 14 awardees this year. She announced that the 14 awardees would receive automatic membership of the NSE if they are not already registered with a professional body.
The Executive Director of Business Development at Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), Hon. Stella Okotete, described the ceremony as more than a celebratory gathering. She called it “a bold statement on the future of engineering, innovation and national development, which must include and be reshaped by women.”
Okotete encouraged the awardees to use their achievements to inspire others and dismantle barriers for girls who aspire to become engineers. She also said NEXIM Bank is ready to partner with the beneficiaries to commercialise their products through its youth and women empowerment platform.
A Collective Effort for Innovation
Representatives from various government agencies, including the Minister of State for FCT, the Director-General of PenCom, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), all expressed support for NASENI and the DELT-Her initiative.
The ceremony, attended by leaders from government, industry, and professional bodies, underscored the growing recognition that expanding opportunities for women in engineering is crucial to Nigeria’s quest for technological advancement.
With 9,925 applications, 14 awardees, N229 million disbursed, and over 150 schoolgirls mentored this year alone, DELT-Her 2.0 is emerging as one of the country’s most ambitious and impactful STEM empowerment programmes.
For many of the speakers, the message of the day was clear: Nigeria’s journey toward innovation and industrial self-reliance must be built by all its talents, and women will play a defining role in shaping that future.
