The Motivating African Youths Initiative (MAY-I) has announced an ambitious plan to empower one million Nigerian women and girls in AI and STEM fields.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja to commemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025, Dr. Ogenna Walter Ekwubiri, Founder of MAY-I, emphasized the importance of increasing female representation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
This year’s theme, “Unpacking STEM Careers: Her Voice in Science,” highlights the need to break barriers, amplify voices, and create opportunities for young girls and women to thrive in these fields.
Building on the momentum of the recently launched MAY-I AI Campaign, which aims to equip young Africans with AI-driven skills, Dr. Walter-Ekwubiri reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to ensuring that African women are not just participants but leaders in the STEM revolution.
She announced that the campaign will roll out in the first quarter of 2025, reaching one million girls and women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The initiative will provide AI and STEM training, mentorship opportunities with leading female scientists and engineers, policy advocacy for increased female representation, and innovation challenges to encourage women-led solutions in AI, robotics, and emerging technologies.
“To achieve this ambitious goal, the campaign will strategically focus on states across all geopolitical zones, including Abia, Enugu, and Imo in the South East; Lagos, Osun, and Oyo in the South West; Bayelsa, Edo, and Delta in the South South; Adamawa, Bauchi, and Taraba in the North East; Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara in the North West; and FCT, Kogi, and Nasarawa in the North Central.
“These states have been carefully selected to ensure that both urban and rural communities benefit, leaving no woman or girl behind,” she said.
Dr. Walter – Ekwubiri called on policymakers, tech companies, educational institutions, and the media to collaborate in making the initiative a success.
She urged governments to create policies that support women in STEM, encouraged the private sector to invest in capacity-building initiatives, and asked schools to integrate AI and STEM training into their curriculums.
The media, she noted, plays a critical role in amplifying the stories of women breaking barriers in science.