Six Nigerians among recipients of highest US national science award

United States President Joe Biden has honoured 400 persons with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

PECASE is the highest honour bestowed by the US government on outstanding scientists and engineers.

The award was established by former President Bill Clinton in 1996.

It recognises scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers. The award also recognises innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology.

Biden presented the awards on Tuesday.

A statement from the White House said this year’s awardees are employed or funded by 14 participating government agencies.

Among the awardees were six Nigerians: Azeez Butali, a 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 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Others are Eno Ebong, associate professor of chemical engineering, bioengineering, and biology at Northeastern University; Oluwasanmi Koyejo, assistant professor of computer science at Stanford University; and Abidemi Ajiboye, executive vice chair of the Case School of Engineering, department of biomedical engineering, Case Western Reserve University.

President Bola Tinubu congratulated the Nigerian awardees, in a statement issued Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy.

Tinubu said the recognitions underscore the ability of Nigerians to excel at home and on the global stage.

The president said he looks forward to the honorees sharing their multidisciplinary expertise to benefit Nigeria’s development efforts.