The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has,through the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT), awarded N70.5 million grant to six winners of the Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her (DELT-Her), a project under Delta-2 programme of the agency.
The agency had on March 8, 2024, International Women’s Day celebration, launched DELT-Her project and called for Proposals aimed at addressing gender imbalance in the practice of engineering and technology based Businesses in Nigeria, by sponsoring the innovative ideas and projects by young female engineers.
Delivering his welcome address, during the grant award ceremony on Tuesday in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Agency, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the “DELT-Her initiative is aimed at empowering young women in engineering and technology.”
The EVC, who was represented at the event by the Coordinating Director, Planning and Business Development Directorate, Dr. (Mrs.) Nonyem Onyechi, stressed the importance of providing women with the necessary tools, platforms, and support to thrive in the fields that have traditionally been male-dominated.
He said the selected projects not only challenged the status quo but also had the potential to address real-world problems.
Halilu, who maintained that young girls belonged in STEM fields and that their dreams were valid, said: “I encourage awardees to view their success as a beacon for others and the commitment to fostering environments where women can excel in engineering and technology.”
In his remarks, Chairman of PICTT, Dr. Mohammed Dahiru, said after thorough evaluation process of over 120 applications received, six outstanding innovative ideas were selected for grant to the tune of each project cost estimate and other forms of support.
He said the forum was organized to sow a seed that would change Nigeria in terms of technology transfer.
Dahiru enthused: “We are recognizing and celebrating our awardees for their amazing feats, while also recognizing the just concluded International Day of the Girl Child, with the hope to inspire the younger generation to embrace and thrive in science and engineering”, he further explained.
Based on the DELT-Her project design, the awardees will receive grants to the tune of the project cost estimate, technical support, links to partners and commercialization of the R&D institutes outputs. Some of the awardees, based on their projects, had also been selected to participate in the forthcoming AFRI. Lab Annual gathering in Cape town, South Africa.
The grant recipients with their projects include Engr. Rukkaya Abdulmutalib, ‘Artificial Intelligence Censored Machine to Monitor Soil Health for Green-Houses N3m); Patience Ibrahim-Janda, ‘Automobile Brake Pads produced from Organic Waste’ N10m); and Engr. Amina Ibrahim Khaleel, ‘Drone for Intelligent ReaL-time Security and Target Tracking’ (N17.5m).
Others are Engr. Dr. Kudirat Oyewumi Jimoh, ‘Electronic Training Board/Device for Science and Engineering Students’ (N16.5m); Engr. Dr. Ikechukwu Ijeoma Francisca, ‘Automatic Bambara Flour Processing Machine’ (N8.5m); and Engr. Abisola Ayomide Olayiwola ‘Solar-powered Snail Shelling Machine’ (N15m).
Also, in commemoration of Girl Child International Day celebration, four Junior Girls Secondary Schools exhibited their innovative and technological devices at the event. The schools included Junior Secondary School Jikwoyi 1-Fueless Generator; and Junior Secondary School Pasali –Fabrication of Mini Refinery Waste Plastics into Home Use Liquids Fuels and Gas.
The other schools are Junior Secondary School Phase 3, Gwagwalada-Ultra Modern Solar Power Sea Planting and Chemical Spraying Machine; and Junior Secondary School Kuje-Conversion of Water and petrol into methane Gas by using Pressure and Junior Secondary School Area 11 – Archimedes Screw Turbines.
Photo Caption
L-R: Representative of the EVC/CEO of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Dr. Mrs. Nonyem Onyechi; Chairman, Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer, Dr. Dahiru Mohammed; and some winners of the Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her (DELT-Her) initiative call for proposal at the presentation of cheques to the winners on Tuesday at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja
