Nigerian Mathematician wins AU Scientific Award

Nigerian Mathematician wins AU Scientific Award
Ndubuisi Okoro, Lagos

A Nigerian Professor of applied mathematics and science, Oluwole Daniel Makinde has made the country proud as the first Nigerian to receive the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Award for Basic Sciences in 2011.

He received the award at the on-going 18th African Union conference in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

Profile

Currently a senior professor of Applied Mathematics and Director of Post graduate Studies at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa, Professor Makinde has made laudable achievements in the field of mathematics and sciences.
He obtained his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, and a Doctorate degree from the University of Bristol.

Makinde has contributed immensely to the upliftment of previously disadvantaged groups in Africa especially in the area of mathematical science research and training.
Professor Makinde is a past winner of the Young African Mathematician Award in 2003, and was also appointed secretary of the African Mathematics Union in 2009.

For more than ten years now, he was the head of Applied Mathematics Department and also became a full professor at the University of Limpopo in South Africa before joining the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, CPUT in South Africa.

 The erudite scholar has been quoted for saying that “mathematic education is therefore indispensible in nation-building.

Professor Makinde is currently the Secretary General of African Mathematical Union, AMU and an associate member of National Institute of Theoretical Physics, NITheP in South Africa.

He is also the Director of the Institute for Advance Research in Mathematical Modeling and Computation based at Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

The Nigerian mathematics and science researcher has taught, conducted research, supervised and promoted several students at Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Post-Doctorate levels in many universities within and outside African Continent.

Professor Makinde co-authored two Applied Mathematics textbooks, two hundred research articles in several reputable International Journals and Conference Proceedings.

He served as academic advisory board member for African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, AIMS in South Africa between 2003 and 2005; Associate member of International Centre for Theoretical Physics between 2000 and 2005; General Secretary of the South African Mathematical Sciences Association between 2002 and 2004, and Vice-President between 2004 to 2006; he’s been a resource person to several research institutions within and outside African continent.

Between 2009 and 2010, he won National Science and Technology Forum and National Research Foundation award for his outstanding contribution to Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation as well as research capacity development in South Africa.

He also received several other awards, which include African Mathematical Union  research Medal for Excellence in Applied Mathematics, 2003; Zimbabwe Literary Award for Best Non-fiction Textbooks Authors, 2001.

Reaction

The Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated Professor Oluwole Daniel Makinde, describing Makinde’s achievement as “a source of pride to all Nigerians, particularly worthy of   emulation by the younger generation.”

A presidency press statement, signed by Dr. Reuben Abati, the president's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, described Makinde as “a very gifted scholar, an achiever and a man of impressive credentials.”

President Jonathan said: “Having a Nigerian win the prestigious Nkrumah award for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, is something that should make every Nigerian proud.”

President Jonathan observed that Makinde’s ”research work and its impact is a clear demonstration of the value of research and technology in the development process as well as the qualitative role that can be played by scientists in the overall advancement of the continent.”

He enjoined other Nigerian scientists to draw inspiration from Professor Makinde’s example and continue to make the country proud.

Background

The African Union launched the AU Scientific Award on 9 September, 2008.
Renamed as the “African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards” in July 2010, the award “is one of the holistic and deliberate measures taken by the Commission to maintain science and technology on top of Africa’s development, co-operation and political agenda.”

The Objective of the programme is to give out scientific awards to top African scientists for their scientific achievements and valuable discoveries and findings.

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