Jonathan confers National Order of Merit Awards on three Professors

The Federal Government has nominated three Nigerian Professors who have distinguished
themselves in Science, Humanities and Engineering to be conferred with the 2013 Nigerian National Merit Award.
The three Professors are Seth Sunday Ajayi (Science), Francis Abiodun Irele (Humanities/ Literature) and Hillary Iyang (Engineering/ Technology).
Ajayi has distinguished himself as an international scholar in wildlife conservation and environmental protection and management.
Irele on his part is known to have authored over 100 papers that include the Cambridge History of African and Caribbean Literature
and four collections of essays: The African experience in literature and ideology, the African imagination: literature in Africa and
the Black Diaspora, Negritude et Condition Africaine and the Negritude Movement: Explorations in Francophone African Literature
and Thought. Iyang is an acknowldged leader in research
whose focus has been in contaminant leaching and de-dusting of materials, design of
containment systems and materials for barriers.
The Chairman, NNMA Governing Board, Prof. Oluwafeyisola Adegoke disclosed the information at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, where he noted that the
awardees were chosen in recognition of their intellectual prowess and contribution to nation building.
He said they were chosen out of over 40 nominees sent in by various individuals and all the nominees went through a rigorious
assessment process by the NNMA governing board and independent assessors.
Congrat to those proffessors