Engineering has long been a male-dominated profession, but trailblazers like Engr. Felicia Nnenna Agubata, PhD, is reshaping that narrative in Nigeria and even Africa. A leading electrical engineer and advocate for women in STEM, Agubata holds a B.Eng. in Computer Science & Engineering, a Master’s in Electrical & Electronics Engineering, and a PhD in Communication Engineering. Since joining the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) in 2002, she has served in key roles including Special Project Officer for the rehabilitation of 13 control towers, Coordinator of the Project Management Office, and currently Deputy General Manager and Head of Terrestrial Services at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. She was part of the team that delivered the Controller Pilot Data Link (CPDLC) system, earning multiple commendations and international scholarships. As the then President of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Dr. Agubata led initiatives such as SheEngineer – Invent It, Build It and the SheEngineer 30% Club, promoting scholarships, mentorship, STEM laboratories, and female leadership in aviation and engineering. At the sidelines of the recently concluded Nigerian Engineering Week, Dr. Agubata shared her journey, insights, and the initiatives she has championed to ensure that women not only join the profession but thrive in it. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports
“I joined the service in 2002 as a young electrical engineer, and I have risen through the ranks to my current level. It has not been a stroll in the park working in a male-dominated space “ Engr. Felicia Nnenna Agubata PhD, said at a recent interview held at the Engineering week celebration venue. Notwithstanding the challenges , she insists that engineering, at its core, is not gendered.
“The one thing I tell myself is, if they can do it, I can also do it. From our learnings in school, engineering is not gender-biased; it is not for any particular gender.
The exams, teachings, and learnings are not gender-sensitive. We (males and females ) were all in the same engineering classes, and the benchmark for acceptable performance was the same for everyone,” she added.
The exams for males and females are the same.
Cultural Barriers and Childhood Lessons
The challenges for females become manifest at the workplace. “Entrenched cultural and religious biases and practices , including mindsets that are tainted by early childhood exposures and prejudices tend to stand in the way of open and collaborative work environment .
This engenders divisiveness or a “ a we vs they mentality.
By virtue of the numerical superiority of males and the fact that more males are embedded at the strategic management levels historically , women tend to interpret this as their being inferior which is not the case .
Suffice it to say , the seeming dominance of the profession by males reflects more of societal biases towards female education and grooming and not necessarily a measure of the intelligence of one gender vs the other.
Intelligence is randomly distributed in both male and female gender pools .
Gender does not confer intelligence and ability .
Growing up, many girls were given dolls and cooking utensils, while boys were given robots and other toys that allowed them to explore.”
Even as children, Dr. Agubata notes, engineering principles were at play. “Yet, as children, we were unknowingly doing engineering — making kites with paper and sticks, building paper boats, rolling tyres powered by force and motion, and creating balloon cars. Those were all engineering principles at work, though we didn’t realise it then.”
Overcoming cultural biases has been central to her advocacy. “Coming into the workplace, those cultural biases often caused women to be held back. The feeling was that, because of culture, women were not supposed to be seen or to take on certain tasks. But some of us are differently wired. We believe engineering is not gender-based, and we should work collaboratively with respect, while also understanding African culture and context. Collaboration allows us to achieve a lot, and that has been true in engineering in Nigeria.”
Inventing Opportunities: SheEngineer – Invent It, Build It
A milestone in Dr. Agubata’s advocacy was her presidency at the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) in 2018, when she launched the Invent It, Build It programme. Sponsored by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the project team travelled across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to inspire girls to pursue STEM careers.
“We realised that each zone had its peculiar challenges. In the South, it was easy to discuss STEM with girls because they were already in school. But in the North, the girl child enrollment was poor, We had to first appeal to parents to allow the girls to attend school and encouraged them to go into STEM. With NNPC’s support, we awarded 81 scholarships, covering education from primary to university level. Today, some of those students are already in university studying engineering.”
Science laboratories, the first of their kind in Africa, were established in schools in Bauchi and Benin City, bringing real-world STEM learning to children. Role models from the communities were introduced so children could see what success in engineering looked like.
Through these efforts, APWEN secured the Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Catalyst Grant, transforming STEM advocacy and teacher training in Nigeria. “With that grant, we not only supported students but also trained science and technology teachers to use modern, hands-on methods in teaching, instead of relying only on theory,” she says.
SheEngineer 30% Club: Bridging the Gender Gap
Later, Dr. Agubata launched SheEngineer: Invent It, Build It, focusing on training STEM teachers and developing a diversity and inclusion policy for professional engineering institutions in Nigeria. That policy was endorsed by COREN and implemented by the Nigerian Society of Engineers, leading to the election of the first female Deputy President of the society in 2021, who, by progression, became the first female President in 2024 since its founding in 1958.
In 2022, she initiated the She Engineer 30% Club, focusing on increasing female representation in leadership across industries such as aviation, automotive, and energy. “Companies and organisations were encouraged to commit to employing at least 30% women in their workforce. Many signed on, and some even exceeded the target, for example, Heirs Holdings implemented 50 per cent. This initiative led to groundbreaking appointments, including the first female managing Director in FAAN and the first female Director of Engineering at NAMA since their inceptions.”
Today, more women hold leadership positions within the profession. “We now have female branch chairpersons and division leaders in the Nigerian Society of Engineers. Although we are not yet where we want to be, the train has already left the station. We are no longer where we used to be, and I must commend the Royal Academy of Engineering for their interventions in Africa.
Mentorship Beyond Borders
Dr. Agubata’s vision extends beyond Nigeria. “We are mentoring the Institution of Engineers Kenya, helping them set up their first Women’s Summit and mentorship programme. Under the She Engineer 30% Club, we also run mentorship schemes pairing younger women with established engineers to ensure they not only study engineering but also stay in the profession.”
She stresses that diversity is not just about gender. “Diversity and inclusion are about ensuring equity, collaboration, and representation across different backgrounds, including cultures, disciplines, and abilities. We insist on bringing women on board not simply because they are women, but because they are competent and bring value. That is why we continuously focus on upskilling women through training and workshops, ensuring they have the skills and opportunities to thrive in engineering.”
Bravery Over Perfection
Dr. Agubata is candid about the “bravery deficit” among women, which she sees as a barrier to progress. “Women often believe that they are born to be perfect. This perfection mindset creates what I call the bravery deficit, and it is one of the reasons why there are fewer women in government and leadership. When applying for jobs, for example, a man who meets just 10 per cent of the criteria will still apply. A woman, however, will wait until she ticks every single box 100 per cent before applying. By then, she often loses the opportunity, while the man, who may not even be fully qualified, applies anyway.”
She recalls an example: “There was once a man who admitted he did not qualify for a job at a Bank when he first applied. He didn’t sit the required exam. Instead, he simply attached his profile and wrote about why he believed he should be hired. That courage, that willingness to try even when not fully qualified with regards to set criteria , is what often opens doors. Because women tend towards perfection, feeling they must be flawless before stepping forward, they hold themselves back. The world, however, is built for the brave. Men are conditioned to be brave; women are conditioned to be perfect. But it is bravery, not perfection, that the world rewards.”
Hands-On Learning and Practical Advocacy
Practical learning and advocacy remain central to APWEN’s programmes. “In middle schools, the teaching is mostly theoretical. There is no practical and no equipment. That is exactly what APWEN is addressing with Invent It, Build It — teaching science with practical, everyday materials. These are simple, inexpensive things children see around them: straws, paper cups, paper boats. For example, to demonstrate buoyancy, fold a paper boat, place it in a bucket of water, if it’s well made, it floats. To show volcanic eruptions, use caustic soda and lime. These practical experiments stick in children’s minds for life, unlike theory. We’ve also done balloon car experiments, simple robots, LED circuits, all with everyday items. These are some of the activities we’ve done in Makoko and still continue today.”
Her advocacy extends to ongoing engineering weeks and African initiatives. “This year, FAEO is celebrating engineering innovations. For the second time, FAEO has a female president. Across Africa, countries like Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa have also produced female presidents of Professional engineering bodies. This year’s African Engineering Week is themed ‘Engineering Innovation: Driving African Industrialisation and Economic Competitiveness.’ Africa has the market and the human capacity, the ‘human gold.’ All that is missing is harnessing these skills.”
Engineers as Policymakers and Problem-Solvers
Dr. Agubata also emphasised the critical role of engineers in governance. “Engineers must take their rightful place in policymaking. Nigeria’s industrialisation will happen through engineers. Everything from medical tools to infrastructure, even down to cooking measurements is engineering. In the past, engineers were not putting themselves out there. But now we are making deliberate efforts to publicize our work, to collaborate with policymakers, and to encourage engineers to enter politics, because that is how you influence policy.”
She further highlighted the misconception that Nigerian engineers produce substandard work. “Substandard work is not done by certified engineers, but by unqualified builders and developers posing as engineers. Real engineers are certified, licensed and regulated. We have tribunals to discipline misconduct. For instance, Nigerian engineers have successfully maintained our radar systems since 2014, saving the country millions of dollars. These are successes people don’t talk about.”
Building the Next Generation
In building the next generation, Dr. Agubata continues mentoring young engineers. “When I did my PhD, I didn’t need it for my work, but I went ahead. Today, it is an advantage. I now mentor 62 young engineers . They, in turn, mentor others. We track progress with ‘SMART goals’ each year, ensuring they remain on course. This ripple effect is how we build the next generation of competent female engineers.”
Her final advice to young girls was clear: “Believe in yourself. Focus. Have direction. Build your competence and skills. that is what defines today and tomorrow’s women. It is not about outward appearance, but about what you have in your head. Get the certificates, get the skills, because one day you will need them. Diversity and inclusion matter. A more diverse team brings more to the table. Focus on competence, build your skills, and the future will open up for you.”
Through her vision and the initiatives she has championed, Dr. Felicia Agubata is transforming engineering in Nigeria into a profession where women are not just participants but leaders, innovators, and changemakers. With advocacy, mentorship, practical learning, and policy engagement, she is creating a diverse, resilient, and future-ready engineering workforce, one young girl at a time.
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