Babatunji Wusu –
- Six Nigerians were recognized by U.S. President Joe Biden with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
- PECASE is the highest honor for early-career scientists and engineers in the U.S. and was established by President Bill Clinton in 1996.
- The Nigerian honorees are notable academics and researchers from prestigious U.S. institutions, including Yale University, Stanford University, and the University of Iowa.
- President Tinubu expressed pride in the recognition, emphasizing the potential for these individuals to contribute to Nigeria’s development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has expressed his pride in the international recognition bestowed upon six Nigerians who were recently named among the 400 recipients of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) by U.S. President Joe Biden. The honorees are celebrated for their exceptional work in science, technology, and engineering.
Established by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, PECASE is the highest honor the U.S. government awards to outstanding scientists and engineers at the early stages of their careers. This year’s awardees, announced on January 14, 2025, are affiliated with 14 U.S. government agencies and represent various fields of research.
The distinguished Nigerians honored include:
- Azeez Butali, Gilbert Lilly Endowed Professor of Diagnostic Sciences at the University of Iowa’s College of Dentistry.
- Ijeoma Opara, Associate Professor of Public Health at Yale University.
- Oluwatomi Akindele, Postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
- Eno Ebong, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University.
- Oluwasanmi Koyejo, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University.
- Abidemi Ajiboye, Executive Vice Chair of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University.
In his statement, President Tinubu congratulated the honorees, commending their outstanding contributions to global knowledge and innovation. He highlighted that this recognition reflects the immense potential of Nigerians to excel both within the country and on the world stage. Furthermore, the President expressed optimism that these accomplished individuals would share their expertise to support Nigeria’s ongoing development initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
