Eight African scholars, research institutes honoured

A total of eight African scholars and research institutions have been awarded for the publication of distinctive research in the field of education, instituted by the Association for the Development of Education (ADEA).

The award, known as the Education Research in Africa Award (ERAA), was jointly sponsored by the African Development Institute (ADI) of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC).

Ms Nana Adowaa Boateng of the Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative Secretariat (CABRI), South Africa, and Mr Ibrahim Kasirye of the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), Uganda, emerged winners in the Emerging Educational Researcher award category.

In the Accomplished Educational Researcher class, Mr. Adesoji Adeolu Oni, Department of Educational Foundations, University of Lagos, Nigeria, and Mr. Abdoulaye Diagne, Consortium pour la Recherche Economique et Sociale (CRES) of Senegal, were adjudged winners.

Mr. Michael Cross of University of Johannesburg, South Africa, and Mr. Pius Augustine Ike (PAI) Obanya, an independent educationist, and researcher and education activists from Nigeria were named winners of the Outstanding Mentor of Educational Researchers.

Two educational research institutions, the Educational Research Network for West and Central Africa (ERNWACA/ROCARE) based in Bamako, Mali, and the Wits School of Education, based at the University of Witwatersrand in South, received the Enabling Institutional Environment for Education Research.

Dr. Hamidou Boukary, Chief Education Specialist at ADEA, said as far back as 1989, ADEA sought support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Canadian government agency, to find solutions to social, economic and environmental problems in developing nations.

He said issues of quality and relevance in educational research in African universities, had brought researchers and policy makers closer to work towards the promotion of dialogue and partnership.

“Hence, this award is coined to address issues of excellence in educational research in Africa”, Dr. Boukary.

He said as ADEA engages African ministers of education and policy makers, the Association would always need “evidenced-based materials” in order to promote informed decisions.

Professor Ali A. Mazrui, foremost Scholar and renowned thinker, writer, debater and educationists, told the audience in his keynote speech, “This young prize is on its way to becoming the Nobel Prize for those engaged in research in African universities, research networks and institutes.”