The Young Aerospace Professionals Initiative (YAPI) recently marked this year’s Girls in Aviation Day with an engaging session at Prudence City College, Yaba, under its Project AeroGirls initiative. This outreach programme aims to introduce young girls to careers and opportunities across the aviation and aerospace sector. The event was powered by key partners, including AnCore ARSP, Aura Assurance, and the Verb Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Club (VAMEC).
The event exposed students to various career paths in the industry beyond the cockpit, such as engineering, policy, and technical operations. Founder and Executive Director of YAPI, Aanuoluwapo Ojewunmi, led a session on different aerospace careers, walking students through the academic pathways required to pursue them. Ojewunmi emphasized that secondary school is a critical stage when young people begin forming ideas about their future careers.
According to Ojewunmi, women make up only a tiny fraction of aircraft maintenance engineers globally, highlighting the urgency behind the initiative. She stated that YAPI designed the programme around secondary school girls to show them that careers in aviation and aerospace are not only possible but also that they have a place in shaping the industry. Project AeroGirls was conceived to tackle the lack of early exposure to opportunities in the field, particularly for girls.
Oluwarantimi Bukola, Programme Associate for Policy and Advocacy at the African Space Leadership Institute (ASLI), pointed to mentorship and professional networks as significant structural gaps facing young women in the industry. Bukola emphasized the need for stronger connections between schools, industry, and female professionals so that girls can see a clear path from interest to education, experience, and eventually a career in aerospace.
The Principal of Prudence City College, Yaba, Mr Akinwoye Akinsola Sunday, commended the organisers for hosting the programme at the school, noting that it equipped students with valuable knowledge and practical exposure to the aerospace and aviation industry. Sunday expressed appreciation for the initiative, stating that it empowered the next generation of girls in aerospace and looked forward to having more programmes at the College.
The event also featured a virtual UAV informational session delivered by Engr. Foluwaso Farombi, giving students a closer look into drone technology and its growing relevance across the aviation and aerospace industry. This session drew strong interest from both girls and boys in attendance. The event was coordinated by members of the YAPI team, including Programmes Lead, Marvellous Adegbaju, and Events and Content Support Lead, Blossom Oton.
With Project AeroGirls, YAPI continues to build a pipeline of young women positioned to take up space in an industry where they remain significantly underrepresented. The initiative aims to bridge the gap by connecting university and early-career women with mentorship, industry exposure, and professional development opportunities. By doing so, YAPI hopes to increase the representation of women in the aviation and aerospace sector.
Key points
- YAPI's Project AeroGirls initiative aims to introduce young girls to careers in aviation and aerospace.
- The programme seeks to address the underrepresentation of women in the industry by providing mentorship and professional development opportunities.
- The initiative was marked by a session at Prudence City College, Yaba, and featured a virtual UAV informational session.
