Across Africa, there is a quiet revolution taking place. Driven by mentorship, by connectivity, and by visionary programmes, Girls in STEM are steadily dismantling barriers of culture, resources and opportunity. At the heart of this transformation lies two pillars: unwavering mentorship and equitable access to technology.
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Girls in STEM: A persistent gap
Women represent only about 28 percent of STEM researchers on the continent. In Nigeria, though more girls now register for science subjects, many fall away before they reach tertiary or professional levels. Traditional gender norms often guide girls toward domestic expectations, while male role models dominate science classrooms and boards, according to Def Jam. In many rural areas, as many as 70 percent of girls believe STEM is for boys—a belief seeded early and often reinforced in school and society.
This cultural headwind, combined with early marriage pressures and poor access to tools like computers or reliable internet, means even bright, motivated girls struggle to imagine STEM careers. But where support is strongest, we see the most powerful change.
Mentorship that matters
Enter organisations like Nigeria’s Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC). Founded in 2008 in Lagos by Oreoluwa Lesi, W.TEC has since reached over 26,000 girls through technology camps, after-school clubs, and mentoring by female tech professionals. Their programmes explicitly aim to dismantle stereotypes, showing girls that engineering, coding or digital circuits are within their reach.
Similarly, the Hadassah STEM Foundation in Lagos partners with female STEM leaders to mentor young students through bootcamps, research training and scholarships. Their tailored guidance brings real expertise into classrooms otherwise starved of role models.
Another shining example is Tech Herfrica’s STEM Her initiative. Launched in late 2024 at a government secondary school in Abuja, it introduced digital champions and STEM Clubs for girls, provided unlimited internet access for a year, and trained students on basic computing and email use. The result: girls who previously lacked any online presence now engage with educational resources, conduct research, and support one another as peer mentors.
Empowerment through innovation
NGOs across Nigeria are scaling up outreach. The ATRED Foundation’s Girls in STEM Initiative aims to train 50,000 young girls in coding, digital literacy and mentorship schemes, starting with pilots in Abuja and Kano and expanding nationally. Meanwhile, the Love for Change Women Foundation (LCWF) reported that its INNOVAT STEAM Bootcamp 2.0 gave over 200 girls access to robotics, Python coding, graphic design and leadership training—many of whom had never seen a circuit board or set foot inside a tech workshop before.
In Uyo, Grace Ihejiamaizu leads the Technovation Girls programme. The 12‑week global tech and entrepreneurship initiative supports girls aged eight to eighteen to build mobile apps for issues like healthcare and climate awareness. Mentors guide them from concept to pitch—boosting confidence and technical skills—and some teams now advance to semi‑finals at the World Summit. Grace notes that when girls are given the tools and guidance, they don’t just build tech—they discover purpose and leadership.
Why mentorship and access make the difference
1. Role‑modelling redefines possibility
When girls interact with female scientists, engineers or coders as mentors, they can finally picture themselves in those roles. Studies show girls mentored by women in STEM are far more likely to persist in their studies and challenge self-doubt, according to Def Jam.
2. Tech access builds fluency and interest
Access to devices and internet connection enables girls to explore coding, design and research. In the STEM Her project, simply giving internet access and an email address opened doors to global learning platforms—even in schools without robust infrastructure.
3. Community fosters continuity
By forming STEM Clubs, appointing digital champions, and building peer networks, programmes give girls sustained support beyond the workshop. This sense of belonging encourages persistence and mutual encouragement, even after formal training ends.
On the ground in Nigeria
In Lagos State, the LCWF’s INNOVAT STEAM Bootcamp was transformative. Girls engaged with Python, fashion tech and robotics over eight weeks, culminating in projects they proudly shared. Many reported newfound confidence and a clear vision of what a STEAM career could look like. The programme’s leader called for wider collaborations so more girls across Nigeria could benefit from intensive mentorship linked to practical skills training.
Another regional model is the APWEN (Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria), which has chapters in 35 Nigerian cities. APWEN offers scholarships, high‑school outreach and visibility for women engineers, encouraging girls to study engineering and see professional girls in engineering fields as the norm, not an anomaly.
African initiatives that inspire
Across the continent, Girls in STEM programmes are thriving. In Ghana, the African Science Academy provides boarding-school education in advanced mathematics and science to gifted girls aged 16–19 from across Africa. ASA has grown from 24 students in 2016 to cohorts from 12 countries, showing how elite academic mentoring can empower high-potential girls.
Elsewhere, Miss Geek Africa is a continent-wide competition inviting girls aged 13–25 to submit tech solutions to social problems. Winners get business training, cash support, and continental visibility—turning ideas into viable enterprises and challenging the stereotype of STEM as male domain.
Challenges remain—but solutions are within reach
Despite tremendous progress, significant challenges endure. Rural and low‑income communities often lack reliable electricity, internet or devices. Gender stereotypes still limit parental and teacher support. And mentorship programmes struggle to scale nationally without sustainable funding.
But local examples prove that scalable solutions exist. Partnerships between NGOs, schools and governments can fund STEM Clubs, internet rollouts and mentor networks. Increasing media visibility for female STEM professionals helps shift perceptions. And creating mentorship circles that connect local girls with role models—even virtually—bridges geographical gaps.
Girls in STEM: A hopeful future
Today, when Girls in STEM gather in Abuja classrooms, in Lagos coding workshops, in Ilorin innovation hubs or at Technovation pitch stages in Uyo, they are part of a growing movement. Their stories are nuanced, rooted in Nigerian English and local realities, yet they resonate across Africa. When mentorship meets access to technology, we see not only skills being learned but confidence being born.
When girls build apps that help communities, when they code robots that inspire others, when they become digital champions in their classrooms, they redefine what is possible. Each one breaks a stereotype, lifts a peer, and sparks a ripple across the continent.
Steps Nigeria and Africa must take now
- Expand mentorship networks: Government and private sectors should fund female-led STEM mentorship programmes and pair students with professionals.
- Scale connectivity and tech access: Every secondary school should have internet access, digital labs, and device support for girls.
- Embed STEM Clubs nationally: STEM Clubs should be mainstreamed into school systems with trained facilitators and peer-led leadership.
- Boost media representation: Publish stories of African female innovators, engineers and coders to inspire visibility and interest.
- Monitor impact and scale wisely: Collect data on retention, progression, and innovation outputs (like coding projects) to inform expansion.
Conclusion
The phrase Girls in STEM stands not just for academic subjects, but a lived promise: that African girls, when given mentorship and tech access, can lead innovation and redefine the continent’s future. Nigeria is witnessing the beginning of that transformation. With sustained will, investment, and belief, we can ensure Girls in STEM become the norm—not the exception.
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