President Bola Tinubu has extended his congratulations to six distinguished Nigerian scientists and engineers who were named by U.S. President Joe Biden as recipients of the 2025 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). This highly esteemed award recognises outstanding early-career scientists and engineers from across the globe and is the highest honour bestowed by the U.S. government in this field.
The six Nigerian honorees, announced on January 14, 2025, are among 400 awardees selected from 14 U.S. government agencies. They include Azeez Butali, a professor at the University of Iowa; Ijeoma Opara, associate professor at Yale University; and Oluwatomi Akindele, postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Also honoured are Eno Ebong, associate professor at Northeastern University; Oluwasanmi Koyejo, assistant professor at Stanford University; and Abidemi Ajiboye, executive vice chair at Case Western Reserve University.
President Tinubu praised their remarkable contributions to science, technology, and engineering, emphasizing that their recognition reflects the immense potential of Nigerians to excel both internationally and at home.
He expressed hope that their expertise will contribute to Nigeria’s development, particularly in line with the nation’s Renewed Hope Agenda.