An indigenous agribusiness and manufacturing firm, Johnvents Group, has engaged no fewer than 103 female secondary school students from 19 schools in the country for the International Women’s Day 2026 celebration as part of an initiative designed to bridge the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing.

With the initiative tagged “Gain to Give”, the firm harped on its drive to combine workforce recognition with investment in future female talent in STEM.

At the heart of the initiative was a targeted student engagement programme which brought 103 female secondary school students from 19 schools into Johnvents Group’s manufacturing facilities for direct exposure to careers in science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing.

The programme, according to the representative, is the fourth consecutive year that Johnvents Group has formally marked International Women’s Day and its most geographically expansive to date.

The student engagement component was hosted at four of the group’s manufacturing and production facilities in Ondo State: Johnvents Industries in Akure, Johnvents Foods in Idanre, Premium Cocoa Products in Ile-Oluji, and Noble Eagle Industries Limited in Owo.

Each participating school was formally invited to nominate five outstanding female students selected on the basis of academic excellence, leadership potential, or interest in STEM subjects.

The programme at each factory site included motivational and career talks delivered by senior women leaders within the group’s operations, guided tours of manufacturing facilities, and interactive question and answer sessions with members of the Johnvents team.

Sessions focused on career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing, with speakers drawing from their own professional journeys within the industrial sector.

Speaking on the initiative, Caroline Omotosho, managing director of Johnvents Industries Limited, said, “What we set out to do with this programme was simple but deliberate. We believe that exposure is one of the most powerful investments an organisation can make in the next generation. When a young girl walks through a factory floor and sees what is possible, something changes in her. That is the return we are investing in, and it is one that will outlast any single programme or financial quarter.”

In addition to the factory-based student programme, Johnvents Group held internal staff appreciation events at all 11 of its operational locations across Nigeria. At each location, employees received appreciation gifts and participated in dedicated recognition sessions organised to mark the contributions of women across the group’s workforce.

The “Gain to Give” theme was adopted by Johnvents Group to reflect its position that organisations which invest in mentorship, exposure, and opportunity generate long-term value for their workforce, their communities, and the broader industrial sector.

The group has indicated its intention to expand the school engagement component of the programme in subsequent years.