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No fewer than ten graduates from various institutions recently bagged the Stephen Oluwole Awokoya Foundation for Science Education (SOAFSE) postgraduate scholarships.
The foundation was initiated in memory of Late Prof.Stephen Awokoya, a foremost scientist. The award is for the best graduating students of nominated public and private tertiary institutions to aid their postgraduate study.
The scholarships were presented during the 25th annual lecture of the foundation which held in Lagos to the ten graduates from different universities.
Speaking at the event, a member, Board of Trustees of SOAFSE, Dr. Fola Awokoya said the Awokoya Foundation scholarship is a reward for excellence and that it is aimed at encouraging excellence in educational performance in the field of science.
The theme of the event titled ‘Epidemiology and Technology, a look at the past and present: Justification for Modifiers in Major Non-communicable Diseases.
According to him, the foundation has awarded 130 postgraduate scholarships since 25 years ago with the aim of promoting science and science education in tertiary institutions.
He explained that the award which is renewable each year, for a maximum of three years, providedw the awardees maintained a good academic performance as attested to by the authorities of the university except for a foreign institution that attracts a year scholarship for travel expenses.
Earlier, chairman of the event, Dr. Chamberlain Oyibo, urged Nigerians to assist in awarding more scholarships because of the impact it would have on the economic development of the country.
Chamberlain lauded the children of late Prof Stephen Awokoya for setting up the foundation in memory of their father to promote science education in the country through the award of scholarship to graduates, who are desirous of undertaking postgraduate studies.
The guest lecturer, a Professor of Exercise Physiology, University of Lagos, Prof. Grace Otinwa said that the current crisis of coronavirus ravaging the world can be controlled through personal hygiene since there is no vaccine for it at the moment.
Otinwa stated that noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill 41 million people each year, the equivalent of 71 percent of all deaths globally and that 15 million people die from an NCD between the ages of 30 and 69 years as the 85 percent of these “premature” deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
She said cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.0 million), respiratory diseases (3.9million), and diabetes (1.6 million).
Three eminent Nigerians were honoured by the foundation and are Prof Lawrence Ekpebu, Dr. Layi Fatona, and Mrs. Catherine Uju Ifejika.
