Tinubu Hails Six Nigerians Honored in Biden’s Prestigious Scientists and Engineers List

President Bola Tinubu has extended his congratulations to six exceptional Nigerians in the diaspora who were named by U.S. President Joe Biden as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The award is one of the highest honors granted by the United States government to outstanding individuals in the early stages of their scientific and engineering careers.
In a statement released on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, it was highlighted that the PECASE award, established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to science, technology, and engineering. This year’s recipients, announced by President Biden on January 14, 2025, come from a range of U.S. government agencies.
The Nigerian awardees 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 School of Public Health
Oluwatomi Akindele, Postdoctoral Researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Eno Ebong, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biology 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
President Tinubu praised the honorees for their groundbreaking work in their respective fields and emphasized that their achievements serve as a testament to Nigeria’s potential for excellence on the global stage.
He expressed hope that these distinguished Nigerians will apply their diverse expertise to support the country’s development goals under the Renewed Hope Agenda.