FUTA don wins African research fellowship

A lecturer at the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Dr David Awolala, has been awarded a post-doctoral research fellowship of the African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (SWIFT) project under the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCFR) of the Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, United Kingdom.

Hands-off my case, Onnoghen tells CCT Chairman

The fellowship, which runs between November 2018 and May 2020, is co-hosted by the Department of Meteorology, University of Nairobi (UoN), Kenya, and the Department of Meteorology, Federal University of Technology, Akure.

Notifying Dr Awolala on the award, the principal of the College of Biological and Physical Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya, Professor B. O. Aduda, wrote, “I am pleased to inform you that University of Nairobi has offered you the research fellowship to undertake post-doctoral research on a full time basis for a duration of 18 months with effect from 12th November, 2018 to 11th May, 2020.

“The SWIFT research programme, through the University of Nairobi research grants office, will administer all the financial aspects of your research work, including travel.”

Reacting to the award, Dr Awolala said that the fellowship period would enable him to contribute to cutting-edge research on weather and related gamut of knowledge.

He said it would also consolidate FUTA’s leading position in climate studies and related fields, foster institutional collaborative project and research policy development.

The vice chancellor, Professor Joseph Fuwape, has since congratulated Dr Awolala, urging him to make the best of the fellowship and be a good ambassador of the university.

“This is another feat by one of our erudite scholars that will positively reposition FUTA in climate matters and benefit Nigeria and humanity,” Fuwape said.