By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Nigeria joined the rest of the world to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science held on Thursday, February 11, 2021.
This year’s event was themed Women Scientists at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 and it provided an opportunity to look into ways females can be encouraged to increase their involvement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).
In Nigeria, the day was celebrated by Afro-Tech Girls, a non-profit organization focused on encouraging and empowering females in STEM.
The organisation, in partnership with IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Towers, organised a virtual conference where participants addressed some critical issues faced by young females looking to build careers in STEM.
This was done in the hope that confidence and soft skills will be improved to drive more interest and participation amongst young females.
The interactive session had over 100 participants in attendance online and a further 100 girls from public secondary schools watching from their classrooms, with female speakers from the medical, science and technology sectors tutoring the participants.
The speakers said the theme of this year’s celebration reinforced present challenges associated with the current pandemic and highlighted how women in science are currently playing a critical role to address these challenges.
Some of these speakers were Dr Ngozi Onyia, MD, Paelon Memorial Hospital; Ms Cima Sholotan, Director of Sustainability & Corporate Communications, IHS Nigeria; and Ms Yetunde Adewunmi, PhD, Microbiologist, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health.
Others were Dr Mobola Oyefule, Medical Doctor, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; Dr Kemi Ezenwanne, Medical Doctor, Armoured Shield Medical Centre; Ms Jessica Uwoghiren, Data Analytics Expert; and Ms Gloria Okereke, Team Lead, Network Operating Centre, IHS Nigeria.
The event was also used as a soft launch of a longer-term partnership between Afro-Tech Girls and IHS Nigeria and in her words, the co-founder of Afro-Tech Girls, Ms Adeola Shasanya, noted that, “We are grateful for organisations like IHS Nigeria that have committed to improving STEM outcomes in Nigeria particularly within young females.
“We are confident that their support will go a long way to ensure these females are equipped with the skills required to compete and contribute immensely in STEM-related careers.”