Nkrumah Awards For 2 African Scientists

Prof Oluwode Daniels Makinde (R) of Cape Peninsula University expressing appreciation after receiving the award from President Mills (M). Looking on are President Yaya Boni of Benin (L) and President Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Ms Samia Nkrumah

The African Union (AU) has conferred the Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards on two African scientists for promoting research work in the sciences on the continent.

Prof Oluwole Daniel Makinde of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology received the Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation Award, while Prof Marike Labuschagne of the Bloemfontein University received the Life and Earth Science Award.

President John Evans Atta Mills and Ms Samia Yaba Nkrumah jointly presented the award to Prof Makinde, while the President of Liberia, Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, presented the other award to Prof Labuschagne at a ceremony in Addis Ababa on Sunday.

The awards were aimed at boosting Science and also giving stimulus to many generations of Africans to take up the study of Science.

On December 12, 2011, a jury of the AU met and screened 33 scientists and proclaimed the awadees as winners.

Each recipient took home a cheque for $100,000, a plaque and a certificate.

In a brief remark before the presentation, President Mills said, “It is of great pride, honour and admiration to give you this honour in the field of Science.”

He expressed the hope that the awards would motivate the scientists in their work.

Receiving the award, Prof Makinde described it as “enormous” and that it would act as a stimulus which would provide a model for up and coming scientists.

He said the transition of a continent from developing to a developed one depended on research, stressing that “without Maths there is no Science; without Science no modern technology, and without these no society”.

He said the level of Science determined the level of growth of a society, adding, “This is a positive note for the continent that Africa is moving forward.”

Pro Makinde commended the AU for recognising scientists at the highest level of the union, stressing, “This will not only be a morale booster for scientists on the continent but also encourage the youth to venture into the area.”