President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has applauded six outstanding Nigerians in the diaspora who have been named among the 400 recipients of the United States’ prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
The honour, established in 1996 by then-President Bill Clinton, represents the highest recognition bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers. President Joe Biden announced the 2025 awardees on January 14, acknowledging their exceptional contributions to science, technology, and engineering.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu celebrated the Nigerian honorees for their trailblazing achievements, describing them as a testament to Nigeria’s boundless potential.
The distinguished awardees include:
Azeez Butali: Gilbert Lilly Endowed Professor of Diagnostic Sciences at the College of Dentistry, University of Iowa.
Ijeoma Opara: Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences) at Yale School of Public Health, Yale University.
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 the Case School of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University.
President Tinubu highlighted the global recognition of these Nigerians as a reflection of the nation’s intellectual and innovative strength. “Their achievements reinforce our belief in the potential of Nigerians to excel both at home and on the global stage,” the President remarked.
The awardees were nominated and supported by 14 participating U.S. government agencies, underscoring their impact across diverse fields.
