The African Development Bank Group has boosted advanced Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and research capacity in Nigeria through sustained support for the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja.
The Bank disclosed this in a statement published on its website, noting that the intervention was delivered under the Nelson Mandela Institute–African Institutions of Science and Technology (NMI–AIST) Project, implemented in two phases between 2010 and 2022.
According to the statement, AUST is one of three centres of excellence supported under the initiative, alongside the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering and the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology.
The Bank said the project had significantly strengthened postgraduate training, research ecosystems, and innovation capacity across participating institutions, while expanding opportunities for women in science.
It explained that the support was reinforced through its Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) initiative, which provides scholarships, mentorship and research funding aimed at improving women’s participation, leadership and visibility in STEM fields.
The statement cited beneficiaries including Dr Aisha Aminu, a mathematician specialising in nonlinear operator theory, who completed her PhD at AUST with Bank support, as well as Dr Stella Nwachukwu-Dozie, now Principal Laboratory Scientist at the National Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Advanced Laboratory, where she researches biosynthesised gold nanoparticles for targeted breast-cancer treatment.
It added that the project also extended to grassroots outreach, including a 2021 STEM campaign that reached 310 secondary school students — 279 of them girls — alongside coding camps designed to encourage teenage girls to pursue technology careers.
In terms of academic output, AUST has produced 398 MSc and PhD graduates under the programme, with women accounting for about 35 per cent. The intervention also funded 149 visiting faculty missions, laboratory upgrades and improvements in ICT infrastructure.
The Bank further disclosed that scholarships awarded under the project included 115 MSc and 90 PhD grants to students drawn from across Africa.
It noted that the university’s AUSTInspire innovation hub had supported about 15 startups, helping to bridge the gap between research and entrepreneurship.
Research outputs from the institution, the statement added, include collaborations on cancer care with the National Hospital Abuja, oil-spill remediation efforts in the Niger Delta, and the development of sustainable construction materials and energy systems.
The Bank said the initiative underscores its commitment to building scientific leadership in Africa, advancing women’s participation in STEM, and promoting inclusive growth and resilience across the continent.
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