…..Egbewole rejoices
By Abubakar Imam
A 1983 alumnus of the Department of Physics, University of Ilorin, Prof. Sunday Jonah, has won the African Nuclear Energy Outstanding Performance award.
The award was conferred on Nigeria’s leading Nuclear Energy Scientist by the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) recently in Pretoria, South Africa, during the 16th anniversary celebration of ‘Pelindaba Treaty’. It was the first of its kind conferred on any African Nuclear Energy Scientist.
AFCONE, which was formed in 2009, is to the African Union what the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to the United Nations. It is the nuclear energy watchdog of the African Union Commission.
Prof. Jonah, who is also the Director of Ahmadu Bello University’s Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT), is the lead author of 117 Journal articles and co-author of 130 others. With the current citation of 1828 h-index of 22 and i-10 index of 64 on Google Scholar, Prof. Jonah has been recognised twice – in 2024 and 2025 at the Ahmadu University, Zaria, as one of its most cited authors.
This award-wining Unilorite would also be remembered for being the brain behind the design and development of a Neutron Reflection Set Up for the determination of Hydrogen content and C+O/H in different materials, which is a project that was recognised as the best material in a 2010 Science Innovation Fair, and continues to be a vital tool for teaching neutron Physics.
Aside from the above, Prof. Jonah is also a contributor to the Oxford Handbook on Nuclear Security (2025) where his incisive and detailed perspective on the conversion of a Research Reactor from HEU to LEU in Nigeria was published, an achievement that earned him recognition and commendation of the Department of Energy of the National Nuclear Security Administration, Washington DC, in December, 2018.
For several years and in different capacities, Prof. Jonah also played frontline roles in the effective utilisation of NIRR-1 at the Centre for Energy Research and Training, where, as the Director, from 2021 to date, his leadership provided a new momentum for the Centre’s achievements of its mandate of research and education in nuclear Science and Technology.
Prof. Jonah is a winner of several outstanding awards including Outstanding Contributions Award by First Nigerian Universities Research and Development Fair.
A 2021 Senior Member of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Prof. Jonah was recognised and awarded the Fellowship of the Nigerian Institute of Physics in 2013.
Reacting to the development, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, welcomed the award, saying that it is a good development as the honouree’s alma mater celebrates its Golden jubilee.
In a statement signed by the University’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr Kunle Akogun, the Vice Chancellor described the honouree as a pride to his alma mater.
Prof. Egbewole, who is also the Secretary-General of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU), expressed optimism that other alumni, staff and students of the University would continue to make the institution very proud.
