BY
IFEANYI MBANEFO
The Nigeria prize for science by the Nigeria LNG Limited was instituted eight years ago. In that time many illustrious scientists have been privileged to win the prize. It is the turn of another scientist in that mould to be adorned with that prestigious prize. The scientist is Professor Akaehomen Ibhadode, winner of Africa’s most prestigious prize for science. The prize awarded last October by The Nigerian Academy of Science is worth 50, 000 United States Dollars. In awarding the prize to Prof Ibhadode, the judges said: “In an industrializing economy like Nigeria’, the products of the precision die process are particularly important in the development of small and medium scale enterprises on which the economy depends for its accelerated growth.
Professor Ibhadode has applied the methods not only for the steel industry, but also for the development of aluminum products” Instituting prize the LNG Limited laid out an overarching principle that the prizes for science and literature must be awarded for no the reason than excellence. Excellence is one of the core values promoted by Nigeria LNG Limited. The company believes that excellence must be strived for, promoted and celebrated wherever it is found and that Nigeria will make a lot more progress if everyone strives for excellence. And as if to lead the way, the company has a bag full of laurels. It is today Africa’s biggest industrial project. It is winner of numerous prizes for safety, having recorded over 50 million man hours without a lost time injury. It is the first Nigerian company to complete its environmental impact assessment before embarking on construction. It has helped to reduce gas flares and has stabilized the domestic cooking gas market. On the whole the NLNG is a very profitable, well-managed business, which has paid over 12 billion United States Dollars as dividend to shareholders. It is because of its success that has decided to give back to the society. And in doing that, it chose to promote excellence by drawing attention to the close connection between striving for excellence and human progress. This is why it has instituted two awards to promote excellence in writing and in science. Although the day belong to Professor Ibhadode, we must all spare a thought and a minute silence for another great Nigerian, Mr. Esiaba Irobi, who would have shared the podium with Ibhadode. Esiaba died shortly after submitting his winning book, The Cemetery Road. Although this is his first major national prize, Ibhadode did not entirely emerge from the blue. A visiting professor to the University of Johannesburg, South Africa with over 80 scholarly publications and seven books to his credit, Ibhadode’s earlier awards are generally regarded as excellent dress rehearsals for Africa’s most prestigious science prize – The Nigeria Prize for Science.
The earlier awards include an outstanding contribution award from the National Universities Commission for building two hand-made, three-horse power petrol engines in 2001. His research paper, arising from his PhD work won the Edwin Walker Prize for 1988, the prestigious and internationally recognized prize by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the United Kingdom. Ibhadode, a professor of Production Engineering at the University of Benin, obtained his Bachelors of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lagos in the First Class Division in 1981, Masters in Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Benin in 1984, and his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, in 1987, specializing in Die Design. Comrade Adams Oshiomole, the Executive Governor of Edo State is the Special Guest of Honour at today’s event which will be a gathering of the who is who in the academia.
Many Secondary schools in Lagos have also indicated that they would be sending students to listen to this authentic hero and role model who has brought honour and fame to Nigeria, Edo State, University of Benin and not to forget the Ibhadode clan of Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State.
Source: recorded live from FRCN daily commentary
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