By Abiola Olawale
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has expressed his congratulations to six Nigerian scientists and engineers who were recognized by United States President Joe Biden as part of the 400 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in the United States.
The New Diplomat reports that this accolade, established by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, is the highest honour bestowed by the US government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.
Tinubu commended the six Nigerians for their significant achievements in science, technology, and engineering, highlighting their contributions as a testament to the vast potential of Nigerians to excel both domestically and internationally.
In a statement released on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Tinubu praised the honorees for their remarkable achievements and for elevating Nigeria’s global reputation.
The six distinguished Nigerians are Azeez Butali, Gilbert Lilly Endowed Professor of Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa; Ijeoma Opara, Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Yale School of Public Health, Yale University; and Oluwatomi Akindele, Postdoctoral Researcher, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Others are Eno Ebong, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biology, Northeastern University; Oluwasanmi Koyejo, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University; and Abidemi Ajiboye, Executive Vice Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University.
The statement reads in part: “The Nigerian leader notes that recognising these exceptional talents underscores Nigerians’ vast potential to excel both at home and on the global stage.
“He looks forward to the honorees sharing their multidisciplinary expertise to benefit Nigeria’s development efforts under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
