In Nigeria's capital, Abuja, the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) is contributing to a continent-wide effort to strengthen advanced Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Backed by the African Development Bank Group, the initiative is helping to cultivate a new generation of African researchers, while opening critical pathways for women to lead in fields historically dominated by men.
Through the Nelson Mandela Institute - African Institutions of Science and Technology (NMI-AIST) Project, implemented in two phases from 2010 to its conclusion in 2022, the Bank supported three centres of excellence: the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; AUST in Abuja; and the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, Tanzania. Together, these institutions form a network designed to deliver world-class postgraduate training, strengthen research ecosystems, and anchor scientific solutions to African development challenges.
Within this network, AUST represents Nigeria's participation and plays an important role in expanding opportunities for women in science.
A major driver of this progress is the African Development Bank's Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) initiative, which promotes access, leadership, and visibility for women in high-impact scientific fields. Through scholarships, mentorship, and research support, WiSE has helped women scholars to pursue advanced studies, contribute to scientific advancement, and take up roles across academia, industry, and research institutions.
Among the beneficiaries is Dr Aisha Aminu, a mathematician specialising in nonlinear operator theory whose doctoral studies were financed through the NMI-AIST project. In 2025, she was selected to participate in the prestigious Heidelberg Laureate Forum, joining some of the world's most promising young researchers.
"Receiving the African Development Bank Group financing to study at AUST connected me to mentors, equipment and a research community I wouldn't have had access to otherwise," she said. "That support helped me stay the course and aim even higher."
Another Bank-supported alumna, Dr Stella Nwachukwu-Dozie, conducts pioneering research on biosynthesised gold nanoparticles for targeted breast-cancer treatment. She now serves as Principal Laboratory Scientist at the National Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Advanced Laboratory (SHESTCO), one of Nigeria's leading federal research centres. Her trajectory demonstrates how Bank-funded training is translating into nationally relevant scientific expertise.
The Bank Group's commitment to strengthening women's participation in science begins well before postgraduate study. In Nigeria, project-backed activities have included STEM outreach programmes in secondary schools, such as a 2021 campaign that reached 310 students, including 279 girls, as well as coding camps to spark early interest in technology careers among teenage girls.
Results achieved at AUST underscore the project's value. Across linked MSc and PhD programmes, the AUST Abuja has produced 398 graduates, with women representing roughly 35 percent. Some 149 visiting faculty missions have helped improve teaching quality, delivering additional expertise and enhanced supervision. Laboratory upgrades, ICT resources and expanded access to scientific journals have helped strengthen research capacity, contributing to significant growth in peer-reviewed scientific output.
Scholarships have played a key role in expanding access, with 115 MSc and 90 PhD awards supporting students from across Africa. The AUSTInspire hub has also nurtured around 15 student- and faculty-led startups, strengthening links between research and entrepreneurship.
Research underway in AUST includes efforts focused on cancer care, in collaboration with the National Hospital Abuja; on nanoparticle-based remediation techniques for oil-spill zones in the Niger Delta; and the development of sustainable construction materials and energy systems.
This Nigeria spotlight reflects the broader achievement of the NMI-AIST Project, especially in advancing women in STEM, and demonstrates how the African Development Bank Group's investment is helping Africa build the scientific leadership needed for inclusive growth and long-term resilience.
