Nigerian female scientists Mercy Bankole and Funmilola Fagbola have been awarded the 2019 Young Talents Sub-Saharan Africa Awards alongside 18 other female researchers.

The award is sponsored jointly by Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO For Women in Science programme.

Mercy Temitope Bankole is a post-doctoral researcher at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State. She majors in Chemistry, with a research project on ‘Healing open wounds faster and better thanks to a nanocomposite.’
Funmilola Fagbola is a doctoral candidate at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology’s department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering. Her research project focuses on ‘Detecting misinformation with proof and deep learning models, and nature-inspired algorithms.’

Each doctoral student awardee received €10,000; while each post-doctoral student awardee got €15,000.

The awardees also benefited from a four-day training designed to give them more resources to pursue their careers.

The four-day training course, given by international experts selected by the Fondation L’Oréal, covered different dimensions such as leadership, management, negotiation, public speaking, media training and personal branding, the Press release announcing their awards added.

The award, which held in Dakar, Senegal, last Thursday, was part of the 10th edition of its regional programme For Women in Science.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice-President of the Fondation L’Oréal, Alexandra Palt, said, “The number of women in Science is not yet significant: only 2.4%1 of the world’s researchers are African scientists, of whom 30% are women. Through the Young Talents Awards for SubSaharan Africa, we promote and support the continent’s remarkable female researchers.

“They play a key role to develop inclusive research in Africa, for Africa and conducted by Africans.”

According to the Press release distributed by the Chief of Project Rosine Zadi, the 20 awardees were drawn from 15 countries and comprised computer scientists, engineers and biologists.

“They prove the diversity and crucial role of women’s scientific research on the continent,” the release said.

They were awarded in front of high-level audience from all over Africa.

They included First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mrs. Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi; Minister of Higher Education,
Research and Innovation of Senegal, Mr. Sheikh Oumar Anne; Regional Director of UNESCO West Africa (Sahel), Dimitri Sanga; and CEO Kudirat Initiative for Democracy, Hafsat Abiola, among others.

See the full list of the 2019 awardees:

1 – Regina Esinam ABOTSI – Doctoral candidate – Ghana – University of Cape Town, South Africa
Discipline: Health Sciences
Research project: Determining antibiotic resistance in potentially pathogenic bacteria present
in the respiratory tract of HIV-infected children.
2 – Becky Nancy ALOO – Doctoral candidate – Kenya – Laboratory, Nelson Mandela African
Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha City, Tanzania
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Research project: Identifying novel species of Irish potato rhizobacteria to enhance yields.
3 – Fatoumata BA – Doctoral candidate – Senegal – Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis
Discipline: Fundamental medicine
Research project: Studying sleep to better fight metabolic diseases.
4 – Dr. Mercy Temitope BANKOLE – Post-doctoral researcher – Nigeria – Federal University of
Technology, Minna Niger State
Discipline: Chemistry
Research project: Healing open wounds faster and better thanks to a nanocomposite.
5 – Najah Fatou COLY – Doctoral candidate – Senegal – Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar
Discipline: Biological sciences
Research project: Better understanding infections during delivery to fight neonatal mortality
6 – Funmilola FAGBOLA – Doctoral candidate – Nigeria – Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology
Discipline: Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
Research project: Detecting misinformation with proof and deep learning models, and natureinspired algorithms
7 – Dr. Nowsheen GOONOO – Post-doctoral researcher – Mauritius – Mauritius University, Moka
Discipline: Materials sciences
Research project: Avoiding amputations by enhancing healing in diabetic wounds
8 – Fatou JOOF – Doctoral candidate – The Gambia – Banjul Open University
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Research project: Developing new antimalarial strategies by tracking genetic mutations
9 – Ruth KIHIKA – Doctoral candidate – Kenya – Nairobi Kenyatta University
Discipline: Chemistry
Research project: Identifying gene targets that correlate with biochemical pathways
responsible for plant resistance to parasites
10 – Stéphanie Maubath Carène KONAN – Doctoral candidate – Côte d’Ivoire – Félix Houphouët
Boigny University, Abidjan
Discipline: Informatics and Information Science
Research project: Geomatics at the service of the fight against malnutrition
11 – Carine KUNSEVI-KILOLA – Doctoral candidate – Democratic Republic of Congo –
Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Discipline: Health Sciences
Research project: Combating tuberculosis contamination in diabetics
12 – Dr. Jacqueline KYOSIIMIRE-LUGEMWA – Post-doctoral researcher – MRC/UVRI & London
School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Unité de recherche ougandaise, Uganda
Discipline: Health Sciences
Research project: Generating comprehensive data on the pre-existing immune status and its
effect on vaccine response.
13 – Dr. Henintsoa Onivola MINOARIVELO – Post-doctoral researcher – Madagascar – Université
de Stellenbosch, Afrique du Sud
Discipline: Mathematics
Research project: Using mathematical modelling and computational simulations to predict
the fate of insect pollinators.
14 – Celia MOFFAT JOEL MATYANGA – Doctoral candidate – Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe University,
Harare
Discipline: Fundamental Medicine
Research project: Using the interactions between a herbal traditional medicine and first line
treatment of hiv/aids
15 – Mweete NGLAZI – Doctoral candidate – Zambia – Cap University, South Africa Discipline:
Health Sciences
Research project: An analysis of overweight and obesity in South Africa: the case of women of
childbearing age
16 – Ines NGOH – Doctoral candidate – Cameroon – Buea University et London School of
Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Gambian Research Unit, Gambia
Discipline: Biological sciences
Research project: Understanding genetic variations, used by natural populations of malaria
parasites
17 – Georgina NYAWO – Doctoral candidate – Zimbabwe – Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Discipline: Health sciences
Research project: – Assessing the microbiome in patients with tuberculosis to develop novel
diagnostic interventions and therapeutic
18 – Dr. Cécile Harmonie OTOIDOBIGA – Post-doctoral researcher – Burkina Faso –
Ouagadougou Joseph Ki-Zerbo University
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Research project: Improving productivity of lowland rice in West Africa
19 – Francine TANKEU – Doctoral candidate – Cameroon – Yaoundé 1 University
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Research project: Treating leukemia by allying biochemistry to the power of plants
20 – Jesugnon Fifamè Murielle Féty TONOUEWA – Doctoral candidate – Benin – Parakou
University
Discipline: Environmental Engineering
Research project: Improving the Acacia wood supply chain in Benin