To commemorate this year’sInternational Women in Engineering Day, the Royal Academy of Engineering is celebrating female engineers across Africa who are solving some of the continent’s most urgent challenges – from food security and healthcare to clean energy and sustainable manufacturing.
In a statement, the Royal Academy of Engineering stated that, “Too often, their (female engineers across Africa) ground-breaking work goes unrecognised in global conversations about technology and innovation.
In line with trying to make a difference, the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, run by the Royal Academy of Engineering, is helping to change that. The organisation notes that as Africa’s largest prize dedicated to engineering entrepreneurship, it has supported more than 150 innovators in 22 countries since 2014 – “offering funding, training and global visibility to turn promising ideas into real-world impact”.
Cameroon’s Armelle Sidje in the spotlight
This year, the organisation is shining a spotlight on some of the success stories the prize has recorded so far. Among them is Cameroon’s Armelle Sidje. She is one of the laureates described as being exceptional in the women in the Africa Prize network – engineers. Like other laureates, the organisation says Armelle Sidje’screativity, determination and social purpose are shaping a more sustainable, inclusive future. “Their achievements stand as an inspiration to the next generation”, it said.
The organisation says Armelle Sidje, one of its success stories, leads Biopackaging, a venture that transforms discarded banana and plantain stems into biodegradable packaging materials. “By turning agricultural waste into paper, shopping bags, and cardboard products, Sidje’s process reduces deforestation and plastic pollution while creating economic opportunities for farmers”, it said, furthering that Cameroon’s vast plantain industry discards millions of tonnes of biomass each year, which Biopackaging intercepts the waste stream, to create sustainable alternatives to paper and plastic, promoting a circular economy in a country grappling with environmental degradation.
It further adds that such initiatives and ventures underscore the vital role women are playing in engineering innovation across Africa. “As the next generation of female innovators prepares to make their mark, the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation stands ready to support bold ideas that can change lives”, it said.
According to a release from the organisation, applications for Cycle 12 open on 7 July 2025 and close on 23 September 2025, with the programme’s first two-stage application process designed to make entry simpler and more accessible for aspiring entrepreneurs. Visit africaprize.raeng.org.uk for more information.
By Andrew Nsoseka
