The 50th World Chemistry Congress was held from 14 -19 July 2025 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Congress Theme was – Chemistry for Sustainable Future

The IUPAC congress recognized women in chemical sciences and Prof Ngila received an Award on 14th July 2025 representing the Africa Region.

The Executive Director of AFoWYESTI, Prof Ngila, gave an Invited Lecture on SDG5- Gender Equality under the sub-theme: Gender equality in Chemical Sciences in Africa for achieving sustainable development goals.

The title of her paper was Chemistry for Gender Equality in Africa for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Prof Ngila in her paper highlighted that in order to address challenges facing Africa, towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), the Continent needs science, technology, and innovation (STI) as enablers for development and to foster economic growth. She argued that science fields such as chemical sciences are crucial to drive innovation, increase productivity, and enhance competitiveness, ultimately leading to a more prosperous and equitable society. In order to address these challenges, gender gaps in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields must be addressed so as to include more women in science and in decision making fora. Her paper discussed policy frameworks and case studies of African women in STEM and digital spaces, and how these impact the implementation of SDGs in the continent, and the role chemistry can play in finding solutions.