The Federal Government has disbursed ₦200 million in grants to 14 exceptional women engineers to help scale their innovations addressing key national challenges.
The initiative, led by the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer (PICTT) in collaboration with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), represents the second phase of the Developing Engineering Leadership and Technology–Her (DELT-Her) programme.
Speaking at the award ceremony in Abuja, PICTT Chairman, Dr. Dahiru Mohammed, said the programme was created to close the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and build a new generation of women innovators.
He noted that DELT-Her had grown significantly since its launch, with applications soaring from 120 in 2024 to nearly 9,925 in 2025.
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“From this highly competitive pool, 14 outstanding female engineers were selected to receive over ₦200 million in grants,” Mohammed said.
The projects, he added, span agriculture, clean energy, digital security, healthcare, mobility, and environmental sustainability—areas critical to Nigeria’s socio-economic growth.
Beyond financial support, DELT-Her has expanded its mentorship reach to inspire younger girls in STEM. The programme mentored 150 students across Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the FCT this year, up from 30 in 2024.
Through bootcamps and fabrication kits, participants designed creative solutions such as biodiesel technology and solar-powered devices.
The Project Coordinator, Olamide Apejoye, credited the programme’s rapid progress to increased awareness and support for women-led innovation.
She highlighted that total funding rose from ₦17.5 million in 2024 to ₦228 million this year, underscoring the government’s growing investment in women’s participation in technology and entrepreneurship.
“The more prototypes they create, the more startups emerge. That means more jobs, empowerment, and growth,” she said, encouraging more women to apply in the next phase.
Launched in 2024, the DELT-Her initiative aligns with Nigeria’s National Science, Technology, and Innovation Roadmap (NSTIR 2030), which emphasizes inclusive participation in science and engineering.
With women making up less than 22 per cent of the nation’s engineering workforce, the programme is seen as a crucial step toward ensuring gender balance and strengthening Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
