Governments across Africa have been urged to move beyond symbolic commitments and adopt concrete funding strategies that support women-led startups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 

This call formed a central theme in the latest edition of the Toyin Falola Interviews, held on Sunday and streamed across various digital platforms. 

The session brought together a panel of distinguished scientists, innovators, and advocates for gender equity in science and entrepreneurship. The speakers included Dr. Veronica Okello, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physical Sciences at Machakos University, Kenya; Professor Catherine Ngila, Acting Executive Director of the African Academy of Sciences and a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa; Dr. Ibraheem T. Badejo, Senior Director of New Ventures at Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Boston; Professor Lucie T. Tchouassi of the Mechanical Engineering Department at New Jersey Institute of Technology; and Dr. Wumi Sadik, Nigerian-American professor, chemist, and inventor, also based at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. 

Collectively, the panelists advocated for the institutionalisation of gender-focused innovation funds, targeted mentorship, and inclusive national policies aimed at scaling women-led ventures in STEM fields. Professor Catherine Ngila emphasised the role of recognition, policy support, and national investment in shaping her career trajectory. She pointed to successful examples in South Africa where annual awards and funding schemes have elevated women researchers. 

“Looking at what has happened particularly in Africa, we have seen a lot of progress for women. Many countries have made deliberate efforts to promote women in science,” she said. “UNESCO’s 2020 research found that 47 percent of great researchers in Africa were women. At a point, Africa was leading globally in the percentage of women in research. But the decline becomes evident at postgraduate levels and in leadership roles.” 

Ngila, who was named the best woman researcher in physical sciences in South Africa in 2016 and a recipient of the African Union Women in Science Award, noted that these accolades helped her overcome self-doubt—a phenomenon she termed “impostor syndrome.” She has since established the African Foundation for Women to mentor young girls and offer them platforms she lacked earlier in her career. 

“There are sadly times when women feel they are not good enough. That’s how women beat themselves down. Recognition is important; it helps to build confidence. We must help women overcome impostor syndrome,” she added. 

Dr. Veronica Okello built on this sentiment, urging African governments to shift from a “donor mentality” to an “investment mindset” when supporting women-led startups. According to her, many well-meaning initiatives are often reduced to one-time donations without long-term structural planning or follow-through. “African women in STEM are no longer participants—we are also problem-solvers,” Okello stated. “Women frequently lead inclusive, socially responsive innovations that can transform communities. Governments must move beyond project-based donations to institutional investments that strengthen procurement chains, reduce import dependency, and foster sustainable development.” 

She also emphasised the importance of co-designing mentorship programs tailored to African realities and called for public procurement systems to deliberately include women-led STEM ventures as a pathway to national growth and resilience. 

Professor Lucie Tchouassi echoed the need for ecosystem-level support, especially for African and Afro-Caribbean students studying abroad. She called for stronger integration of such students into existing support systems to prevent them from becoming alienated or overlooked. “It is important to get our students integrated so that they don’t get lost in the system,” she noted. “We must learn from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and how they nurture Black students. Our female African and Afro-Caribbean students should find their voices and be mentored by role models.” 

Tchouassi further pointed to the roles of organisations like the Society of Women Engineers and the Society for Black Engineers in building support networks and helping students develop platforms to uplift others. The panel collectively stressed that while Africa has made significant strides in promoting gender inclusion in STEM, much remains to be done to institutionalise support and create a vibrant ecosystem for women innovators. They called on both public and private sectors to collaborate in building structures that outlive political cycles and ensure generational transformation. 

By investing in women’s innovation, the panelists added, Africa can tap into a largely underutilised reservoir of creativity, leadership, and community-focused problem-solving—essential ingredients for inclusive growth and sustainable development. 

Original article published in The Guardian Nigeria