From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, declared that the country’s future rests on active participation in science and technology.
He stated this at the State House Abuja during the conferment of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) Award for years 2020 and 2021 on three Nigerians who distinguished themselves in the field of medicine and science.
The award recipients are Dr. Oluyinka Olurotimi Olutoye, Medicine (2020); late Prof. Charles Ejike Chidume, Science (2020) and Prof. Godwin O. Samuel Ekhaguere, Science (2021).
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said he was very proud to welcome the new laureates to the prestigious league of highly honoured citizens.
He said the nation would continue to celebrate and trumpet the scholars’ achievements as a shining example worthy of emulation by the upcoming young men and women in the country.
The president said since the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA) was established 43 years ago, the addition of the three recipients would bring the total number of recipients to 79.
He said that the integrity of the award also underscores the high expectations of the nation that the new recipients, like their predecessors, would continue to hold the banners of creativity and intellectual excellence very high.
While congratulating the three awardees, Buhari expressed the government’s appreciation for the patience of the 2020 Award winners, who had to wait close to two years to receive their Award due to the emergence of Covid-19 in 2020.
The president enjoined youths in the country to emulate the good works of the laureates by dedicating themselves to “excellence and strive to contribute their quota to the arduous task of getting Nigeria on the top bracket of outstanding nations.”