By Florencemary Nwabueze

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), a global organization celebrating 75 years of existence, has announced a new initiative to sponsor Nigerian female students to study engineering both within Nigeria and abroad.

The SWE Lagos chapter made the pledge during its conference, titled “Engineer Her Future 1.0,” held on Friday at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Founded in 1950 and headquartered in the United States, SWE is an international educational and service organization with over 47,000 members across nearly 100 professional sections, 300 collegiate sections, and 60 global affiliate groups worldwide.

Speaking at the event, SWE Lagos chapter President Engineer Mulikat Idris, described the conference as a landmark gathering dedicated to empowering and inspiring women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

“We come together not only to celebrate the remarkable achievement of women in STEM but also to reaffirm our collective commitment to create a future where every girl can confidently pursue her ambitions without limitations,” Idris said. She called on all stakeholders to participate in empowering women to embrace engineering, noting that women continue to break barriers and drive innovations, though much work remains for equal representation.

The keynote speaker, Engineer Adenike Adebisi, highlighted stark statistics on gender disparity in the field.

“The percentage of women in engineering in Nigeria today is just 5%,” Adebisi said. She explained that while the gender distribution is roughly equal in elementary and secondary school, significant gaps emerge at the university level. In Nigeria engineering programs, men represent 76% of students while women make up only 24%. In contrast, medical schools show 60% women and 40% men.

Adebisi further emphasized the need to make STEM subjects “interesting, relatable, and fun” for children from a young age.

The special guest of honor, Mrs. Mosurat Adesola Vincent, Director of Strategy & Innovation Management at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), advised students to take responsibility for their bank accounts and avoid cybercrime issues.

“Your bank account is your own responsibility. You are not too young to know how to manage your money.” She said while encouraging students to bring unresolved bank complaints to the central bank.

During a panel session titled “Women in STEM: Leading Across Industries and Breaking Barriers,” speakers including Professor Oyenike Adeyemo (University of Lagos), Chinyere Igwegbe (APWEN president), Emeka Okoye, and Ayomide Shodipo urged students to pursue their passions and not be discouraged.

One panelist shared a personal story of being introduced to computers during the Windows 98 era, noting that engineering has since expanded beyond civil and petroleum engineering to include AI, robotics, and data engineering.

Citing UNESCO data showing only 35-37% of women in STEM actively practicing their profession, a panelist expressed concern that many female graduates leave engineering for fields like makeup, hairdressing, cooking, or dancing due to perceived lack of money.

“Be more risk-taking; be more upfront about what you do. Whenever you get something done, let everybody know. Don’t assume your work will speak for itself, because it usually does not. Nobody will ever say you are until you say I am.” The panelist advice.

A second panel featuring Rebecca Kehinde, Fortune Oyepitan (University of Lagos engineering student), Faith Okunsanmi, and Aminat Idris (SWE UNILAG president) focused on the realities of university life in STEM. They insisted that consistency in reading and readiness before examinations remain the bedrock of success. They advise students to participate in sports to relax brain and also develop problem solving skills rather than abandoning a course.

The event was attended by engineering professionals and students from various schools, including Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School, Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School, Sulaiman Shadow Schools, Breakthrough Academy, Dominican College, Lagos State University (LASU), University of Lagos(UNILAG), and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).