Professor Umezurika Opata of Nigeria yesterday emerged winner of the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Award in the field of Life and Earth Science.
The $100,000 award was conferred on Opata during the 26th Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
South African Professor Tenello Nyokong equally got the $100,000 award in the field of Basic Science Technology and Innovation.
The ceremony was moderated by the AU Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology Martial De Paul Ikounga, who explained that the Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Awards was awarded at three levels – national, regional and continental–to honour African men and women in science who distinguished themselves by their contributions to African development through their work in the field of research and training.
Ikounha noted that the programme was a joint effort of the Commission and her Development Partners, particularly the European Commission.
Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Nyokong expressed the hope that African scientists would make remarkable progress towards a healthier and better Africa in the next decade, particularly in finding solutions to the biggest problems on the continent.
