TWO Nigerian academics in the Diaspora – a Professor of History and African Diaspora Studies at Florida International University Saheed Aderinto and a lecturer and PhD student of engineering at Aberdeen in Scotland Zahrah Ibrahim -have been celebrated for their award wins.
Aderinto, who is the Founding President of the Lagos Studies Association, won the $300,000 Dan David Prize, the largest history prize in the world, in recognition of his “outstanding scholarship that illuminates the past and seeks to anchor public discourse in a deeper understanding of history”.
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In a congratulatory message on Monday March 13, Nigeria’s President-Elect Tinubu commended the selection committee of the international award for recognizing Aderinto’s useful contributions to the study of History and for making an excellent pick.
“I congratulate Prof. Aderinto, our worthy ambassador. I hope and pray that this award spurs many of our young people to rise to the zenith in their careers.
“By this rare achievement, Prof. Aderinto has not only further etched his name in academic excellence but has also made Nigeria, Africa and the entire Black race proud, for which we must all remain thankful to him,” Tinubu said.
He added that the award also underscores the importance of the study of history in Nigeria schools.
On her part, Ibrahim won the prestigious European “Drilling Engineering Innovation Award” for her presentation on “A Novel Approach for Wellbore Strengthening”.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, described her as a role model for excellence and innovation in engineering.
“Let’s celebrate her success and encourage more girls to pursue education and their dreams,” Dabiri-Erewa said.