President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has applauded six Nigerian scientists and engineers for their remarkable recognition by U.S. President Joe Biden as recipients of the 2025 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
The PECASE, established in 1996 by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, represents the highest honour granted by the U.S. government to early-career scientists and engineers. The latest recipients, announced on January 14, were selected from across 14 U.S. government agencies, according to a statement by Presidential Spokesman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday in Abuja.
Among the Nigerian honourees are Azeez Butali, Gilbert Lilly Endowed Professor of Diagnostic Sciences at the University of Iowa’s College of Dentistry, and Ijeoma Opara, Associate Professor of Public Health at Yale University.
Others include Oluwatomi Akindele, a Postdoctoral Researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Eno Ebong, an Associate Professor at Northeastern University; Oluwasanmi Koyejo, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University; and Abidemi Ajiboye, Executive Vice Chair of the Biomedical Engineering Department at Case Western Reserve University.
President Tinubu lauded their outstanding achievements in science, technology, and engineering, noting that their recognition underscores Nigerians’ immense capacity to excel on the global stage.
“These honourees have demonstrated the vast potential Nigerians possess to contribute meaningfully to global scientific and technological advancements,” Tinubu remarked.
The President expressed optimism that the awardees’ multidisciplinary expertise would benefit Nigeria’s growth under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
