The National Vice Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers (NIWE), Temitope Aboyeji, has called for the establishment and enforcement of gender policies that support diversity, equity and inclusion of women in leadership pipelines.

She made the call at the 2025 International Day of Women in Engineering (INWED) organised by the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN).

Aboyeji emphasised that such initiatives are needed to break down systemic barriers through targeted education policies, mentorship programmes, and workplace inclusion strategies.

The 2023 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) science report revealed that only 28 per cent of the world’s engineering graduates are women and even fewer rise to leadership roles. In Nigeria, the figure is lower—around 15 per cent of registered engineers are women, according to the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) 2022. This, experts say, is not due to a lack of talent but systemic barriers, stereotypes, and a lack of enabling structures.

According to her, creating environments, where all voices are valued, empowers more young women to pursue and thrive in engineering careers.

She highlighted the policies that create mentorship and sponsorship programmes, leadership development and training, promote work-life balance, engage men as allies and encourage women to get involved in leadership roles are crucial to enhancing gender-balanced leadership.

“Women engineers bring unique insights that enhance the relevance and effectiveness of engineering solutions. Engineering inclusion is neither charity nor fairness, it is a strategic imperative, a mark of smart and forward-thinking leadership for teams and organisations, ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute and succeed,” she said.

She argued that as global challenges like climate change, resource depletion, and urbanisation intensify; the need for sustainable engineering solutions has never been more urgent as engineering is the backbone of modern society from roads and water systems to clean energy and digital technology.