President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated six Nigerian-born scientists and engineers recognized by U.S. President Joe Biden as recipients of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
The honour, announced on January 14, 2025, celebrates early-career professionals who have made exceptional contributions to their fields.
Established in 1996 by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the PECASE is the highest honor awarded by the U.S. government to scientists and engineers at the beginning stages of their careers.
This year, the awardees are affiliated with or funded by 14 participating U.S. government agencies.
Among the 400 recipients are six Nigerians whose groundbreaking works have drawn global recognition.
They include Azeez Butali, the Gilbert Lilly Endowed Professor of Diagnostic Sciences at the College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, and Ijeoma Opara, Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences) at Yale School of Public Health, Yale University.
Also honoured are Oluwatomi Akindele, a Postdoctoral Researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Eno Ebong, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biology at Northeastern University.
Rounding out the group are Oluwasanmi Koyejo, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University, and Abidemi Ajiboye, Executive Vice Chair of the Case School of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu commended the six honorees for their remarkable achievements in science, technology, and engineering.
He emphasized that their recognition reflects the vast potential of Nigerians to excel on a global scale, serving as an inspiration to millions.
“These trailblazers represent the extraordinary talent and dedication that Nigerians bring to every field of human endeavor. Their accomplishments inspire renewed confidence in our nation’s capacity to compete and lead in the global arena”, President Tinubu said.
The President expressed hope that the honorees’ multidisciplinary expertise would contribute to advancing Nigeria’s development goals under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He also underscored the importance of fostering collaboration between Nigerian experts in the Diaspora and institutions back home.
