The United States government has said that the removal of barriers for women’s full participation in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) would lead to a better world.
The Information Officer U.S. Embassy Abuja, Jeanne Clarke, stated this in Ibadan at the opening of the STEM STEP programme geared towards empowering 100 women in Nigeria.
Clarke, who noted that STEM education was the key for any country’s economic success, said that her country was convinced.
She underscored the importance of STEM education to various fields such as medicine and engineering in relation to the feat achieved by individuals globally.
She urged the participants of the three months STEM digital technology and entrepreneurship programme to take it seriously and impact the coming generations by spreading the knowledge gained from the programme.
“The future without women’s engagement and participation and gains of economic improvement and facilitation as well as advances in science and technology will be lopsided and unsustainable.
“It is critical that we hear women’s voices at all levels through representation and collaborative solutions that will have an impact on all.
“We are convinced that if the various barriers to women’s full participation in STEM are removed, women do better, families do better, countries do better and the world does better.
“Whether at home or abroad, promoting women in STEM fields are top priorities of the US government. We have partnered and funded several projects to increase STEM education in different parts of Nigeria,” Clarke said.
Dr Yemisi Adeyeye, Founder, Lifefount Foundation and a U.S. International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Impact Awards recipient said dreams do come true and urged participants to dare to dream.
Adeyeye said the training is targeted at reducing unemployment and increasing employability of women in Nigeria through training in digital technology tools and entrepreneurship management skills.
“The STEMSTEPS program will also provide participants the opportunity to interact and learn from successful business entrepreneurs through physical and virtual training activities, ” she said.
“Each year Nigeria produces 600,000 graduates. After the mandatory one year service called NYSC, we discovered that they found it so difficult to get a job.
“This is because Nigeria’s unemployment rate as at the 2022 first quarter is 33 per cent, which is about 60 million people without a job.
“The best way to solve this challenge is to empower graduates that would make them either employable or they would be encouraged to start their own enterprise and employ others,” she said.
Lifefount had partnered with Technology organizations including Code School Africa, Maselly and Kiddiesdroid to train and mentor participants.
