Academic City University has partnered with the African Gifted Foundation (AGF) to offer full scholarships to six young girls to pursue undergraduate programmes in engineering.

This is part of efforts to break barriers limiting women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The beneficiaries are nationals from different African countries, including Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Togo and Kenya, who will undertake programmes in Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Academic City.

The partnership will see AGF provide 30% of the tuition cost for each student.

To raise the remaining 70% (approximately $300,000) required to fully fund the scholarships, the Academic City University Foundation will launch a Giving Tuesday campaign, a global day of generosity that mobilises individuals, organisations, and partners to support meaningful causes.

The campaign will invite alumni, industry partners, and well-wishers to contribute towards empowering the next generation of women engineers in Africa.

The initiative seeks to encourage more young girls to take up careers in engineering, thereby helping to eliminate gender stereotypes and close the gender gap in STEM fields.

Promoting the participation of girls in engineering aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on gender equality, quality education and innovation.

Through this partnership, Academic City and AGF are working to ensure equal access to educational opportunities and to groom a new generation of women engineers for Africa’s development.

Speaking on the initiative, the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Academic City, Ing. Dr. Lucy Agyepong, expressed optimism that the scholarships would achieve their intended impact.

“This not only empowers women to contribute meaningfully to national development but also strengthens industries through diversity and innovation.

Ultimately, when girls are given the tools and confidence to excel in engineering, societies move closer to achieving inclusive growth, reduced inequalities, and sustainable progress for all,” she said.

Dr Agyepong reiterated Academic City’s commitment to continuously providing platforms that enable women and girls to thrive, become relevant and participate actively in national decision-making.

Yasameen Al-Jboury, Executive Director, stated that the partnership is powerful because it brings together two organisations with a shared belief: Africa’s brightest girls deserve world-class STEM education right here on the continent. 

“By combining AGF’s talent pipeline with Academic City’s cutting-edge university experience, we are creating a pathway for young women to learn, innovate and lead Africa’s technological future”