(By Temitope Obayendo)
Dr. Taiwo Olayemi-Elufioye, a lecturer and scientist from the department of Pharmacognosy, University of Ibadan, has won the 2014 Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early Career Women Scientist Award in Developing Countries.
Elufioye, being the only African among the five awardees, received the award for her research works on the treatment properties of native Nigerian plants, with particular bias on the effectiveness of different species in treating malaria, wounds, memory loss, leprosy and cancer.
The prizes were awarded by The Elsevier Foundation, the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) and The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS), with the aim of building scientific strength and advancing scientific knowledge in developing countries. The winners received $5000 and all-expenses paid attendance at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, United States, where the ceremony was held.
The award winning researchers, representing five regions of the developing world, were from Indonesia, Jamaica, Nigeria, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Reacting to the award, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, described Dr Olayemi Elufioye as a pride of Nigeria and the African continent as a whole.
According to him, the feat recorded by the woman scientist would inspire other women in science.
He stated that the University of Ibadan would continue to provide the needed environment for her researchers to be able to compete and come out tops in global community of scholars.
