A former President of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Dr Felicia Agubata, has called for the creation of an enabling environment that will encourage girls and women to develop an interest and thrive in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Agubata made the call during a virtual APWEN Insight Series titled, ‘Women and Girls in Science and Engineering: Building the Future Pipeline.’ The Insight Series is an initiative of APWEN aimed at fostering women and girls in STEM, promoting professional development, and enhancing technical knowledge. The event featured expert-led sessions on leadership, industry trends and mentorship for engineers.

She emphasised that sparking interest, ensuring retention and sustaining advocacy are critical to preventing “leakages” in the pipeline of female participation in STEM.

Describing herself as a determined rural girl who grew up in a post-war environment marked by deprivation but strengthened by resilience, Agubata recounted how she supported her late mother through petty trading and farm work while excelling academically and in sports.

She said her passion for hands-on problem-solving and developing practical solutions eventually led her to pursue engineering. She urged young girls to embrace hard work, discipline, community support and commitment to responsibilities as essential ingredients for success.

Agubata also commended the founding members of APWEN for laying a strong foundation for advocacy for women in engineering since the association’s establishment in 1982.
She referenced trailblazers, including the first female President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Margaret Oguntala, and other women who have broken barriers across engineering, oil and gas, consulting and related sectors.

The former APWEN president further applauded the association’s multi-pronged initiatives designed to nurture girls from primary school through to the professional stage. “Many study engineering but migrate to other fields,” she said. “We must ensure retention as a critical success factor. There are unending opportunities in STEM. Science is life. STEM is an economic driver, and engineers are problem solvers.”

In her remarks, APWEN President, Chinyere Igwegbe urged young engineers to take deliberate steps toward building sustainable and impactful careers in the profession. Igwegbe explained that the theme of the event was crafted to highlight the processes, stages and foundational building blocks required to nurture and sustain the next generation of engineering professionals.

“Building the future pipeline represents the structured pathway through which aspiring engineers must pass, equipped with the right knowledge, mentorship and professional values necessary for long-term success,” she added.