President Bola Tinubu has extended his congratulations to six distinguished Nigerians in the diaspora who were among the 400 recipients of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in the United States. The award, announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on January 14, 2025, is the highest honor granted by the U.S. government to exceptional scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers.
Established by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, PECASE recognizes individuals employed or funded by 14 participating U.S. government agencies for their groundbreaking contributions to science, technology, and engineering.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu praised the recipients for their outstanding achievements, highlighting their contributions as a testament to the extraordinary potential of Nigerians to excel both locally and globally.
He encouraged the honorees to bring their expertise to bear on Nigeria’s development initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda, expressing optimism about their future contributions to the nation’s progress.
The Nigerian awardees include:
• Azeez Butali, Gilbert Lilly Endowed Professor of Diagnostic Sciences, University of Iowa
• Ijeoma Opara, Associate Professor of Public Health, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University
• Oluwatomi Akindele, Postdoctoral Researcher, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• Eno Ebong, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biology, Northeastern University
• Oluwasanmi Koyejo, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University
• Abidemi Ajiboye, Executive Vice Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
President Tinubu lauded their accomplishments as a source of pride for Nigeria and inspiration for future generations.