NIGERIAN PROFESSOR WINS GLOBAL SCIENCE RECOGNITION

Professor Edu Inam of the University of Uyo has won the 2026 Faculty for the Future Impact Prize of the Schlumberger Foundation.

Inam, a professor of Chemistry and Director of the International Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability Research at the university, was one of nine women scientists and engineers selected from 156 applications across 61 countries.

She was recognised for her initiative, “Scaling a Research Equipment Database for Equitable Access in Nigeria,” which seeks to make scientific equipment and research facilities easier for researchers to locate and access.

Inam developed LabEquipment.ng, a searchable platform containing information about research equipment, their locations and contacts for accessing them.

According to Inam, the platform, launched in 2021, had connected 22 institutions and listed more than 200 pieces of equipment by the end of 2025. It had also recorded more than 3,000 searches and interactions and over 550 users.

She said the prize would support improvements to the platform, including mobile access, the addition of more institutions and clearer procedures for accessing laboratory services.

The Schlumberger Foundation said the Impact Prize recognises fellows who apply their scientific expertise to addressing challenges in their communities.

Inam’s project is aimed at improving collaboration and access to research infrastructure across Nigerian institutions.