SWIS Africa Launches Innovation Hub to Boost Women Participation in STEM

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

Shaping African Women in STEM (SWIS Africa) has launched the SWIS Hub, a year-long digital innovation and mentorship initiative aimed at bridging the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics across Nigeria.

The organisation said the project would kick off with its first Pop-Up Innovation Lab in Lagos on Friday and Saturday, August 7 and 8, 2026, where young women would receive hands-on training in artificial intelligence and data science.

According to SWIS Africa, the programme is designed to equip participants with practical digital skills while connecting them with mentors, scholarships and career opportunities in STEM.

The project is funded through the AU-EU Youth Action Lab Innovation Grant, co-funded by the European Union and the African Union and managed by Oxfam Novib. The organisation said it was among the youth-led organisations selected across Africa and Europe to receive grants of between €30,000 and €40,000.

SWIS Africa was founded by Nigerian academics Samuel Ogunsola and Abosede Salami to address challenges limiting women’s participation in STEM, including poor access to mentorship, career information, professional networks and role models.

The organisation said the SWIS Hub would feature a digital platform, expected to go live this month, offering over 30 expert videos on STEM careers and skills, a searchable database of scholarships, fellowships and internships, educational resources, and networking opportunities for young women.

It added that four innovation labs would be organised across Nigeria during the project year, focusing on artificial intelligence, data science, science communication, digital tools and prototyping, before ending with an innovation showcase where participants would present solutions to STEM professionals.

The initiative will also include a six-month Media Fellowship to train 20 young women in science communication through monthly masterclasses and mentorship, while 10 STEM Circles will be established across the country to promote peer learning and collaboration.

Speaking on the launch, the Executive Director of SWIS Africa, Samuel Ogunsola, said the organisation remained committed to transforming the lives of young African women through access to STEM education and opportunities.

He said, “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.”

Ogunsola added that the project, which runs from May 2026 to April 2027, is expected to directly impact more than 500 young women through its training, mentorship and digital learning programmes.