Dr Nike Folayan MBE is a Chartered Engineer and a telecommunications engineering consultant. She is co-founder and chair of the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers, an organisation which campaigns for more ethnic diversity in UK engineering. After receiving her master’s and doctorate degrees in electronics engineering from the University of Kent, the University of Sheffield, Nike has worked for a number of leading engineering consultancies and organisations, including Mott MacDonald, Parsons Brinckerhoff and WSP.
“Only 9% of UK engineers are from Black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, although an average of 29.9% of engineering university graduates are from BME backgrounds.”
Career background
I have degrees up to PhD level within electronics engineering. I have also worked for various engineering consultancies and organisations including Mott MacDonald, Parsons Brinckerhoff and now WSP.
At WSP I am a technical director and technical discipline lead within WSP’s transport business. I manage teams across the UK and India from a technical competency perspective in addition to leading designs on different projects.
Establishing the Association of Black and Ethnic Minority Engineers
I am co-founder and co-chair at ASFBE-UK (the Association of Black and Ethnic Monitory Engineers). AFBE-UK promotes higher achievements in education and engineering particularly among people from black and minority ethnicity (BME) backgrounds. Our mission is to increase the number of BME engineers who succeed professionally and support young people to explore engineering careers.
Importance of diversity of thought in engineering
The proportion of United Kingdom (UK) citizens from ethnic minority communities is projected to reach between 20% and 30% by 2050.
The UK has a longstanding history of engineering achievement; however, the UK engineering sector is currently experiencing a shortage of skilled professionals. Only 9% of UK engineers are from Black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, although an average of 29.9% of engineering university graduates are from BME backgrounds.
AFBE-UK works to increase the number of ethnic minority people who pursue a career and have successful careers within the engineering industry.
Black history is a vital part of history
In the UK, Black History Month, celebrated in October, is about recognising and celebrating the contributions of Black people within the UK. It is often the case that people assume that the contribution of Black people to the UK is limited to recent migration, however, Black people have been in the UK since the Roman conquest of Britain with soldiers drawn from all over North Africa and Europe.
There is also the backdrop of The Windrush and contributions of people from the Caribbean islands who have made immense contributions, but who have often been overlooked because this is not included in the education and learning of young people in the UK. This is why, for me, it is important to celebrate Black History and it should continue to be celebrated until such a time as we all recognise that Black History in the UK is part of UK history.
There are so many Black people who have contributed immensely to UK history over time, but as an engineer working in transport, if I were to highlight people in my field, it would have to be the Windrush generation who came to work in UK transport industry.
It’s also those who have stood up in various spheres to make a difference to society through their inventions (in the UK or around the world), people like Gladys West, [pictured in the main image], the American mathematician known for her work contributing to the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Celebrating Women’s History Month
As we’re now in the midst of Women’s History Month, I’m celebrating in the same way I would for Black History Month. I always like read new books that expand my knowledge. I will also be listening to learn more facts on my history.
Moving ahead, I’m looking forward to a fairer society. I know that sounds utopian but the reality is that we all need to do our part in making for a fairer society.
Main image: Gladys West and Sam Smith look over data from the Global Positioning System at Dahlgren in 1985. Image credit — U.S. Navy
