In a groundbreaking move to challenge long-standing gender norms, the Ogun State government, in collaboration with the World Bank through the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), is spearheading initiatives to increase female participation in male-dominated trades.

One of such initiatives is the Ogun TVET girls’ scholarship designed to benefit an initial 1,000 girls who enrol in any of the eight Government Science and Technical Colleges for technical trades, such as welding, automotive repairs, electrical engineering, carpentry, and joinery. The scholarship covers textbooks, equipment, and stipends for three years, as well as ensuring that young women have the resources they need to succeed.

A statement, signed by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, said that interested candidates who possess either a Basic Education Certificate or Senior School Certificate are eligible to register for their choice of trade and college free through ogsera.ogunstate.gov.ng/tvet, as well as (http://ogsera.ogunstate.gov.ng/tvet) using their Learner’s Identification Number (LIN) from Monday, August 5 to Friday, August 30, 2024.

Meanwhile, the state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, emphasised during a sensitisation visit to the host communities of the technical colleges that the scholarship aims to encourage girls to compete favorably with their male counterparts in the engineering field.

The initiative, according to her, is expected to enhance their economic livelihood and ultimately contribute to the economic advancement of the state and the nation in general.