“Passion is a seed, but development is the harvest.”
On June 5, 2025, I attended my first physical meeting as a proud new member of the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) chapter. It was a gathering filled with intellectual firepower and purpose — women who are not only advancing science but are also committed to uplifting others through it.
It was also a great honour to be invited to speak on the theme: “Developing Our Passion.” For me, this topic speaks directly to the core of both my academic journey and my advocacy work.
Following the successful attainment of my PhD, my research interest in the application of solar energy in aquaculture systems has grown rapidly. This new phase has not only deepened my engagement with sustainability science but also aligned naturally with my work in youth empowerment and girl-child development.
At the heart of this passion is the BEMORE Empowered Girls Foundation — a movement I founded in 2017 to bridge the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Entrepreneurship (STEM+E). Through our annual summer bootcamps, we train girls — especially from underserved backgrounds — in ICT, solar technology, and life-enhancing skills.
What sets BEMORE apart is not just the curriculum, but the commitment to long-term impact. After each bootcamp, every girl receives a brand-new laptop and a home solar system, ensuring that her journey into the world of technology continues beyond the classroom. These tools do more than light up homes — they ignite futures.
Between 2017 and 2024, over three thousand (3,000) Nigerian girls have had the BEMORE experience. Each one returned home not just with knowledge and confidence, but also with tools — a laptop and a solar home system — capable of transforming their family environments. In Nigeria, where the average household size is seven, the indirect impact is profound. These solar kits are lighting up homes in rural areas and off-grid city settlements, where access to electricity is either unreliable or entirely absent. They are powering laptops, computers, and mobile phones, enabling communication, education, and productivity in ways that were previously unimaginable.
With these tools in hand, our girls become familiar and proficient in the use of computers and laptops — a skill that stimulates their appetite for learning and empowers them to excel academically. More importantly, this digital literacy gives them the confidence to sit for computer-based entrance examinations into higher institutions, such as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams. The BEMORE summer bootcamps provide our girls with a veritable ammunition to conquer fear and secure qualifying grades in these crucial examinations. They are no longer left behind due to lack of exposure or opportunity — they are stepping boldly into a digital future.
During my address at OWSD-FUTA, I emphasized that passion must go beyond feeling — it must drive action. And in a patriarchal society such as Nigeria, the role of educated women is pivotal. We are not just success stories; we are role models and system changers. Our work must ripple outward — into classrooms, communities, and boardrooms — creating spaces where girls are safe to dream, to learn, and to lead.
Through BEMORE, I’ve seen firsthand how exposure and mentorship change the trajectory of a life. Girls once intimidated by a computer now write code in Python. Girls who never imagined they could become scientists now proudly install solar panels and understand how they work. With the right support, girls are not just participants in the digital economy — they are leaders in it.
For us as women in science, developing our passion means transforming what drives us into programs, platforms, and policies that open doors for others. Our degrees must lead to deeds. Our research must lead to real-world change. And our stories must inspire the next generation to believe that they, too, belong in the world of science and innovation.
Because at the end of the day, we are not only developing our passion — we are developing people.
Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu writes ✍️ from Ibadan
Email: akeredolubetty@gmail.com
X: @DrIgoloAbiam
