Africa’s youth have been called upon to embrace engineering as a critical driver of development and innovation across the continent. Speaking at the 10th annual UNESCO Africa Engineering Week in Nairobi on September 12, 2024, Eng. Maureen Mwaniki, Director of Public Affairs and Policy at Huawei Kenya, highlighted the growing concern over the shortage of engineers in Africa and globally.
“There is a declining interest in the engineering profession among youth, especially women. The continent is experiencing a gap, where older, experienced engineers are nearing retirement, but not enough young engineers are entering the profession. Sustaining the profession relies on young people choosing engineering as a career,” Eng. Mwaniki noted.
She stressed that Africa’s future depends on its youth embracing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, with engineering at the core of solving the continent’s most urgent challenges, such as infrastructure development, clean energy, and climate resilience.
“The increasing demand for infrastructure, renewable energy, and climate solutions presents an opportunity for engineers to shape Africa’s path toward sustainable growth. However, more efforts are needed to attract young people, particularly women, to the profession,” she added.
Eng. Mwaniki urged women to step out of their comfort zones and seize opportunities provided by companies like Huawei. She highlighted programs such as Seeds for the Future, ICT Competitions, and Women Collaboration initiatives, which expose women engineers to advanced technologies and enable them to develop solutions for their countries.
UNESCO Africa Engineering Week provides a platform for government representatives, industry leaders, and academia to discuss policies and partnerships that can advance engineering education and innovation across the continent. The event promotes awareness about the importance of engineering in society and encourages students to consider engineering as a career.
This year’s edition, hosted by the Ordem dos Engenheiros de Angola in Luanda, Angola, features events like the 8th Africa Engineering Conference, the 7th Africa Women Engineers Forum, the Young Engineers Forum, and a Business-to-Business (B2B) session. The discussions focus on sustainability, innovative infrastructure, engineering’s role in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and capacity building in engineering education.
“This year’s theme, ‘Engineering for Sustainable Development,’ emphasizes the urgent need for technical solutions to tackle challenges like climate change, infrastructure development, and digital transformation,” Eng. Mwaniki concluded.
