Gender qualities, creativity and performance in geosciences in a sustainable university system for global capacity building

Contributions of women to global politics, policy making, education and community development in the contemporary world despite their active familial roles and declining economy has led to sustainable global development. Their prominence has not been felt in geosciences to harness endowed earth’s treasures. Women academic geoscientists play vital roles investing into the future of countries for improved human lives. This study focuses on imbalanced gender structure of staff and students of Earth Sciences in a university system with intention to promoting gender inclusiveness in geosciences. The study employs sex-based counts of students (males and females) and women academics in Earth Sciences to investigate the reason(s) for low proportion of women in academic career in Nigerian university system. Data acquired from 2018 - 2023 academic sessions, revealed that < 13% female students defended their final year projects in a male dominated academic staff department that has one female in the staff gender composition. Thus, emphasis on employment of more female lecturers in geosciences in university system’s policy and other establishments would add value to their roles in global capacity building. This would advertently boost female students’ enrollment because of gender inclusiveness and performance of female folks at all levels of their academic pursuit. It guarantees quality in moulding and training students, enhances gender equity in the system by motivating them to take up academic careers, and as role models to emulate. This promotes women diversification in Earth Sciences, thus motivating and boosting their informed participation, creativity and improved solutions to their environment.