How Okeke, Nwaichi brought Women in Science prizes to Nigeria

The duo of Professor (Mrs) Francisca Okeke and Dr Eucharia Nwaichi, have made Nigeria proud by carting home two Women in Science Partnership prizes at the 2013 UNESCO-L’Oreal awards.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that while Prof. Okeke, the first female Head of Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka bagged the 2013 prize on scientific study on climate change, Dr. Nwaichi, an environmental bio-chemist from the University of Port Harcourt, bagged her award of “International Fellow’’ along 15 others.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports, the awardees were acclaimed in the “Laureates and fellows’’ categories in Paris a few days ago.

Also, Professor Okeke recognition was the only recipient in that category from Africa and the Arab nations and the third Nigerian Laureate since the UNESCO-L’Oreal partnership since the awards began 15 years ago.

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 and was precisely singled out for her research on “scientific solution to environmental pollution.”

Reacting, Okeke was quoted as saying she would continue to encourage women to participate in the development of science and technology in the country, noting that cultural challenges impede on women’s participation in global innovations.

“Even though it is seen as a male dominated field, people like us inspire others,” she declared.

Equally reacting, Dr. Nwaichi, stressed the need for increased motivation to support women in the field.

Commending the efforts of recipients, Nigeria’s Permanent delegate to UNESCO, Ambassador Mariam Katagum, noted that candidates met the criteria for their selection by a jury based on their submitted projects.

Two important elements, she said, were respecting the deadline and also making their submission through the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO, because that gives it legitimacy.

“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, emphasising that the recipients had broken the frontiers in the field of science.

The awardees, she said, have become role models for Nigerian girls, adding “we need to encourage more girls to go into science.”

RN/NAN/DSBNews

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