Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Getting girls and young women interested in science careers should be given higher priority across Africa. Initiatives such as STEM Belle and STEM4HER are rising to the challenge.
Virologist Oyewale Tomori, whose career in science dates back to the early years of Nigerian independence, offers a personal perspective on the state of African science in 2022.