Monsurat Oshinfisan, our master statistician, returns with another intriguing statistical writeup on “The Persistent Gender Gap in Nigeria’s STEM Pipeline”. Here are some of the major areas explored in her detailed research findings:
- The Global Representation Deficit: Oshinfisan frames the issue on a global scale, pointing out that women account for only 28% of tertiary engineering graduates and just 22% of Artificial Intelligence (AI) professionals worldwide.
- The Leaky Corporate Pipeline: Drawing on data from Elaine Montila, the research highlights that while women make up 46% of the U.S. labor force, only 26% of female STEM graduates actually transition into the tech workforce, compared to 40% of their male counterparts.
- Stagnant Local Engineering Admissions: Using data from the Nigerian Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), Oshinfisan exposes a persistent local gap. Between 2018 and 2023, female admissions into the Faculty of Technology, Engineering, and Environment remained stubbornly low, fluctuating only slightly between 15.7% and 16.2%.
- A Shift Towards General Sciences: On a more positive note, the data reveals a growing trend of female students entering the Faculty of Sciences. Female admissions in this faculty steadily climbed from 44.4% in 2018 to an encouraging 50.2% by 2023.
- The Business and Social Case for Diversity: The writeup explores the tangible benefits of bridging this gap, noting that diverse teams drive creativity, improve problem-solving, and boost overall economic growth. It also emphasizes that inclusive tech design ensures products meet the needs of a diverse user base.
- The Need for Targeted Interventions: Finally, the research points to a critical policy gap highlighted by the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report. While 68% of countries possess policies supporting STEM education, only half of those policies specifically target the inclusion of women and girls.