President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday received Professor Ademola Adenle, the Nigerian scholar and sustainability expert who recently won the inaugural Global M.S. Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace, praising him for bringing international recognition to the country.
At the meeting, which was attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari (CON), President Tinubu commended Professor Adenle for his contributions to agricultural innovation, biosciences, renewable energy, and public health. He described the award as a testament to Nigeria’s growing influence in global research and sustainable development.
“Your achievement is not just personal; it is national,” the President said. “You have made Nigeria proud by showing the world that our scientists are leading efforts to build a fairer, healthier, and more food-secure future.”
Professor Adenle made history in August as the first-ever recipient of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)–M.S. Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace, presented by India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, during the M.S. Swaminathan Centenary International Conference in New Delhi.
Widely regarded as a “mini Nobel Peace Prize,” the award honours individuals from developing countries who have made transformative contributions to food security, sustainable agriculture, and peacebuilding. It was named after the late Professor M.S. Swaminathan, the legendary Indian scientist known as the “Father of the Green Revolution,” whose work helped lift millions out of hunger.
Adenle, who serves as Senior Special Adviser on Agricultural Innovation in Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, was recognised for his groundbreaking research on food security, climate justice, and the empowerment of vulnerable communities across Africa and beyond.
Speaking after the meeting with President Tinubu, Professor Adenle announced plans to launch the Women in Biosciences Initiative, a programme designed to boost rural agricultural productivity through training, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The initiative will also target malnutrition, promote renewable energy—particularly solar power—and tackle waterborne diseases in rural areas.
According to him, the initiative will be implemented in partnership with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and other global institutions, extending Swaminathan’s legacy of using science to advance social equity across Africa and Asia.
