SWIS Africa Launches Innovation Hub to Boost Women Participation in STEM

Shaping African Women in STEM (SWIS Africa) has launched the SWIS Hub, a year-long digital initiative designed to bridge the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) across Nigeria. The program kicked off with a Pop-Up Innovation Lab in Lagos, offering young women hands-on training in artificial intelligence and data science.

The initiative aims to equip participants with practical digital skills and connect them with mentors, scholarships, and career opportunities within STEM fields. The project receives funding from the AU-EU Youth Action Lab Innovation Grant, a joint initiative of the European Union and the African Union managed by Oxfam Novib. SWIS Africa was among the selected youth-led organizations to receive grants ranging from €30,000 to €40,000.

Founded by Nigerian academics Samuel Ogunsola and Abosede Salami, SWIS Africa addresses the challenges that limit women's participation in STEM, such as inadequate access to mentorship, career information, professional networks, and role models. The SWIS Hub will feature a digital platform providing over 30 expert videos on STEM careers, a searchable database of scholarships and internships, educational resources, and networking avenues for young women.

Over the project's year, four innovation labs will be held across Nigeria, focusing on AI, data science, science communication, and digital prototyping. The initiative concludes with an innovation showcase where participants will present their solutions to STEM professionals. Additionally, a six-month Media Fellowship will train 20 young women in science communication, and 10 STEM Circles will be established for peer learning and collaboration.

SWIS Africa's Executive Director, Samuel Ogunsola, emphasized the program's commitment to transforming young African women's lives through STEM education. "Every lab, every mentorship session, every scholarship a young woman finds through the Hub is a life touched," he stated. The project, running from May 2026 to April 2027, is projected to directly benefit over 500 young women.

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People sometimes look at plans like these and forget the significance and impact. We do not. Every lab, every mentorship session, every scholarship a young woman finds through the Hub is a life touched. We are changing lives and helping women in STEM get better, one young woman at a time.