London – Two Nigerian female scientists have bagged
the UNESCO-L’Oreal “Women in Science Partnership’’ award for their
contributions to the advancement of scientific knowledge in the country.
The awardees were recognised in the “Laureates and
fellows’’ categories in Paris.
Prof. Francisca Okeke, the first female Head of
Department, University of Nigeria Nsukka bagged the 2013 Laureate award for her
significant contributions to the scientific study climate change.
She was the only recipient in that category from
Africa and the Arab nations and the third Nigerian Laureate since the
UNESCO-L’Oreal partnership was established in 1998.
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Four others also got awards in the Laureate category
with each representing Europe, Latin America, North America and the Asia
Pacific regions.
The second Nigerian award recipient, Dr Eucharia
Nwaichi, an environmental bio-chemist from the University of Port Harcourt
joined 15 other young scientists in the “International Fellows’’ category.
Okeke said that she would continue to encourage
women to participate in the development of science and technology in the
country.
She noted that cultural challenges were impeding on
women’s participation in global innovations, stressing that “even though it is
seen as a male dominated field, people like us inspire others’’.
Similarly, Nwaichi, who was recognised for her
research on “scientific solution to environmental pollution’’, stressed the
need for increased motivation to support women in the field.
Amb Mariam Katagum, Nigeria’s Permanent Delegate to
UNESCO, said candidates who met the criteria were selected by a jury based on
their submitted projects.
“Two important elements are respecting the deadline
and also making their submission through the Nigerian National Commission for
UNESCO, because that gives it authenticity.
“For us as delegates, as soon as we knew we had
possible candidates from Nigeria, we ensured that due process was followed.
“There is no interference as you can see, an
international jury determined the outcome,’’ she said, adding that the
recipients had broken the frontiers in the field of science.
According to her, they have become role models for
girls, for us as a country, we need to encourage more girls to go into science.
“We can only do that by providing the environment,
access to quality education and making sure that the facilities that will make
them interested in science subjects are in place,’’ she stressed.
The international jury which selected the 2013
awardees was led by Nobel Prize winner, Mr Ahmed Zewail. (Vanguard)
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