The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Halilu said on Friday that the agency would double the number of female engineers in the country over the next five years.
The EVC/CEO made this pledge during the official launch of “Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her” (DELT-Her), an event which also coincided with marking of the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024 at NASENI’s headquarters in Abuja
According to the agency’s EVC, Delt-Her is an initiative, a subset of Delta-2 programme, aimed at closing 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.
Halilu explained that “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, through our collaboration with the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT).
Expatiating further on the project, he said: “DELT-Her seeks to correct the in balance in practice and enterprise development, by focusing attention and funding on young women, and very importantly, creating and cultivating public awareness around the need to train and mentor more women into the engineering professions.”
According to him, what this should ideally mean is that women should make up half of all professional spaces in the country but now, this is far from reality.
Halilu further clarified: “The global average for female representation in engineering is 28 per cent. In Nigeria, it is only five percent, only one in 20 Nigerian engineers is a woman. This awareness component of the work is one that we will take very seriously, working through schools, and storytelling campaigns.
“We intend to, through DELT-HER, double the number of female engineers in Nigeria over the next five years. This will mean working extensively at the level of secondary education, which is where young girls make the vital decisions regarding choice of professional field”, the EVC added.
Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman, PICTT, Dr. Mohammed Dahiru, said: “The Committee, through continuous support of NASENI is determined to fund innovative and commercially viable ideas in engineering and technology-oriented proposals by women.
“Therefore, today’s launch of 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”, Dahiru added.
In her keynote address, the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala, said DELT-HER initiative sought to address the challenges of practice by the female gender, and to unlock the full potentials of women in engineering.
In his goodwill messages at the event, the chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi, who pledged his support for women in engineering and science sector to ensure that they are given their rightful position in the society.
Photo Caption
At the Background L- R: Coordinating Director, Planning and Business Development National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mrs. Nonyem Onyechi; Chairman Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer, Dr. Mohammed Dahiru; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mrs. Nko Esuabana; President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs. Margaret Aina Oguntala; Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, NASENI, Mr Khalil Halilu and Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi, with some students during the launching of the DELT-Her programme in commemoration of the International Women’s Day 2024 at agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday
