African youth urged to embrace engineering to drive development

Africa’s youth have been called upon to embrace engineering as a key driver of development and innovation across the continent.

Speaking at the 10^th annual UNESCO Africa Engineering Week – High-Level Workshop held in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 12, 2024, Ms Maureen Mwaniki, Director of Public Affairs and Policy at Huawei Kenya, said the shortage of engineers in Africa, and the rest of the world was a cause for concern.

“There has been declining interest in the profession from the youth, with the enrolment of young people, especially women in the profession dwindling,” Engineer Mwaniki said.

“The continent is facing a situation where there are a lot of older more experienced engineers, but not enough young candidate engineers entering the profession.

“Our ability to sustain the profession lies in the number of young people choosing engineering as a career.

Mwaniki noted that Africa’s future depends on its youth embracing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, particularly engineering, which lies at the core of solving the continent’s most pressing challenges.

“The growing need for infrastructure, clean energy, and climate resilience offers a unique opportunity for engineers to shape Africa’s path toward sustainable growth. But more efforts need to be put in attracting younger people, especially women, to the profession,” Mwaniki said.

“Women, in particular, need to step out of their comfort zones and grab the opportunities that are offered by companies such as Huawei. Programs like Seeds for the future, ICT Competition, Women Collaboration programs with our partners, etc., will help expose the women engineers to advanced technologies that can enable them to create solutions for their country.”

The Africa Engineering Week provides a platform for government representatives, industry leaders, and academia to discuss policy frameworks and partnerships that can accelerate engineering education and innovation on the continent.

Celebrated across the region every year, UNESCO Africa Engineering Week promotes engineering solutions and awareness among students, society and policy-makers. It aims to inspire and educate youth and the public on the vital role of engineers in societies.

This year’s edition was hosted by the Ordem dos Engenheiros de Angola in Luanda, Angola, from 9 to 13 September, and organised jointly by UNESCO, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) and the Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO).

It will include the 8th Africa Engineering Conference, the 7th Africa Women Engineers Forum, the Young Engineers Forum and a Business-to-Business (B2B) session.

These events will focus on sustainability and innovative infrastructures; engineering and acceleration of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation; and engineering education and capacity building.

“This year’s theme, ‘Engineering for Sustainable Development’, highlights the urgent need for technical solutions to address challenges such as climate change, infrastructure development, and digital transformation,” Mwaniki said.

In the photo: Engineer Ms Maureen Mwaniki, Director of Public Affairs and Policy at Huawei Kenya; Mwaniki is also pictured with other prominent African women engineers.