President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday conferred the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) Award on three Nigerian scholars who distinguished themselves in the fields of medicine and science.
The President said he was very proud to confer the awards on the new laureates, Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, Medicine (2020); late Prof. Charles Chidume, Science (2020) and Prof. Godwin Ekhaguere, Science (2021).
Speaking during the conferment ceremony, President Buhari said, “Please endeavor at all times to serve as beacons of hope and aspiration for the younger generation of Nigerians, reminding them that our survival and collective future as a nation ultimately rests on our being active participants in global developmental efforts, especially in science and technology.”
The President appreciated the patience of the awardees because they had to wait for almost two years to receive their awards due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
According to the President, “The integrity of the Award also underscores the high expectations of the nation that the new recipients, like their predecessors, would continue to hold banners of creativity and intellectual excellence very high.”
The Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, George Akume, said the three scholars were picked out of over 1,200 applications received by the NNOM Governing Board.
The Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA) was established forty-three years ago and potential awardees undergo a strict merit-driven evaluation procedure.
