Exceptional Africans

18 Year Old Breaks Academic Record, Bags 40 Scholarships.

By Web News 446

That Nigerians, be it young or old, male or female, are blazing the trail across the globe is no exaggeration.

Their God given abilities continue to put them in the lime light wherever they find themselves.

Isn’t it amazing that just a single Nigerian child had an astonishing success such that fetched him forty outstanding awards in the academic world.

Nigerian Achunike Okafor was sometimes ago honoured by Science Park High School at Newark in New Jersey, US, for his extraordinary performance.

Eighteen years old Okafor received an International Baccalaureate diploma with a record-shattering 4.625 grade-point average from the school.

According to TapIntoNewark, an online newspaper, his GPA is the highest among Newark’s 2,649 graduates in the Class of 2023, and highest ever for the city public school district.

This feat earned him more than 40 scholarship offers, many from the nation’s top universities: Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Princeton, Penn State, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Southern California, and Rutgers.

“I am grateful for the opportunities to attend such esteemed universities and to represent my family and community.

“I do not take lightly the privilege and responsibility to be among the few individuals selected for such honors,” Okafor said.

Young Okafor plans to attend Harvard University to pursue a neuroscience degree.

“There’s absolutely nothing average in him,” Science Park principal Darlene Gearhart said.

Superintendent of Schools, Roger León acknowledged Achunike’s exceptional performance as a source of pride for Science Park High, the school district, and the Newark community.

“We are extremely proud of Achunike Okafor.

“His achievements are a testament to his perseverance, resilience, and dedication to excellence. We wish him continued success at Harvard, and look forward to more accomplishments from him in the future,” León said.

Achunike’s father Godfrey Okafor said his son’s achievements were also a source of family pride.

“We place a high premium on education in our home. Education, and continuing to learn in life, allows young people to provide for themselves and their families, and build their future,” Okafor, a high school maths teacher, said.

Godfrey Okafor says his five other children, including two older sons and three daughters, are currently studying computer engineering and pharmacology, or enrolled at nursing school and law school.

Outside the classroom, Achunike was co-founder of his school’s Science Club; vice president of its Junior Student Council and its Stand & Deliver Club.

Superintendent of Schools Roger León acknowledged Achunike’s exceptional performance as a source of pride for Science Park High, the school district, and the Newark community.

Culled/Olaitan Oye-Adeitan

Exceptional Africans

Timothy Came in a Volunteer, Exited Radio Nigeria Voluntarily

By Web News 542

By Olaitan Oye- Adeitan & Adebukola Aluko

Cerebral, Dynamic, Thorough, Versatile, Focused, Dogmatic, Dogged, Forthright, Hardworking and dedicated are just a few of the words that aptly describe the man, Timothy Bamidele.

Timdayle, as fondly called by colleagues, joined the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, on 13th July 2006.

Timothy Bamidele at a training session

His journalism career began in Radio Nigeria, Gold FM, Ilesa, Osun State, as a volunteer in 2005, providing pro bono service for a year, after leaving a government job as a secondary school teacher.

Having proved his mettle in his one-year free service at Radio Nigeria, Timothy was employed as a full-time staff of the corporation in 2006, serving in various capacities as a reporter, covering different beats, editor and producer.

Timdayle served as a State House correspondent under the administrations of Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Rauf Aregbesola and was as well Osun State House of Assembly correspondent.

To his credit, he played a remarkable role in the installation of the first-ever woman Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, headquarters.

In further pursuit of excellence, Timothy was able to secure multiple training opportunities within and outside the country.

These include Radio Netherlands Training Centre, RNTC, and United Nations Training Institute and Research, UNITAR.

He won fellowship awards crisscrossing Nigeria, covering assignments within and outside the country.

A goldfish that has no hiding place, Timothy’s expertise in Information Communication Technology, ICT,  where he carved a niche for himself, came to the limelight, and within the shortest time and by divine providence, he was transferred to Ibadan to pioneer Online Unit, Ibadan Zonal Station of Radio Nigeria.

Having made a highly significant mark at the Online Unit of Ibadan station, Timdayle was redeployed at the instance of the Director-General, Dr Mansur Liman to Abuja Headquarters of the corporation to serve as Multi-Media manager of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Abuja.

Timothy Bamidele Training Media Personnel

On merit, this new Media icon worked as a Digital Media Assistant at the United Nations Information Centre in Lagos from where he was seconded to the office of the Minister of Petroleum Resources as a Digital Media Assistant on the bill of God’s grace.

Having made a landmark contribution in his 17-year journey in FRCN, Mr Timothy Bamidele, voluntarily exited the services of the corporation on February 18, 2023.

His words, “ I believe and I’m convinced that only God can bestow multiple honours on a man’s life. My journey in FRCN has been a chequered one, paved with great and significant milestones and challenges, and it has come to a significant and remarkable apex”.

Timothy Bamidele Training Participants

“I urge everyone to adapt, embrace transformation, and lift FRCN higher. It’s a great place with the finest of professionals. We remain one in the love of God and the affinity of noble journalism.

Thank you, Jesus. I came, saw, and conquered” Timothy added.

As Timothy Bamidele honourably bows out of service and moves on, it can be said of him that he left an indelible mark in the sands of time.

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Exceptional Africans Family & Relationship

World’s Best Physicist

By Web News 2734 Post a comment

He is the World’s best physicist.

He manufactures drones for the most powerful army in the world, the United States Army.

He has four Master’s degrees and four Doctorate degrees while currently working on his fifth and sixth Master’s degrees in software engineering at Regis University and Information Systems at the Keller Graduate School of Management.

He resides in Texas, USA.

Interestingly, he is an Edo man and a former lecturer at the College of Education, Ekiadolor.

This great achiever is Nigerian-born Osatohanmwen Osemwengie.

  • Dr Osatohanmwen Osemwengie

One cannot but put on the spotlight, the unacknowledged success story of many Africans around the world who are excelling and contributing immensely to global village development.

 Dr Osatohanmwen Osemwengie is one goldfish that has no hiding place. He shines brilliantly with laurels of undisputed achievements. 

 Prior to his trip to the United States in 1982, Dr Osemwengie served as an administrator of the College of Education, Benin City and was recognized as their Educator of the year for securing funding used to design and implement pre-service teacher education programs.

Osato Osemwengie is the founder of Open Robotics University; a tuition-free engineering degree-granting university that allows people to further exercise their talents and expand their knowledge in all fields related to engineering.

Dayo Adu/Olaitan Oye-Adeitan

Exceptional Africans

Man Fights off Leopard with Bare Hands

By Web News 1959

“One of us was going to die” – “I stared death in the eyes.

I stood with my fists clenched, ready to punch like a boxer. I told myself one of us had to die.”

These are the heroic words of Ndumiso Mona who battled with a stray leopard that allegedly escaped from the Kruger National Park (KNP).

Standing on the step of his partially built home in the village of Matsulu in the Mbombela Local Municipality in Mpumalanga, the young man dressed in work overalls, grey socks and sandals recounted his ordeal that played out mid-morning on 21 July.

 “I was hanging out outside a local shop with friends when we heard about a stray leopard roaming near my home. My instincts told me to run home. I was worried about my two siblings, who were at primary school,” he said while clenching his fists like a boxer.

“I ran and passed my home… when I saw it. I turned around, and it growled behind my back. I turned again. We stared at each other’s eyes.

We both stood for about two minutes facing each other,” said the 23-year-old. Mona continued: “My heart was pumping heavily. It opened its mouth, and I saw sharp teeth. It was ready to pounce.

I clenched my fists. There was no turning back. I told myself that one of us wouldn’t make it alive. That was not going to me.” He said minutes later the wild cat jumped on him.

 “It slapped me with its right paw. I punched it in the chest. It fell. It jumped at me again. I punched. It fell. It sprung on me again, going for my face. I grabbed its neck. Its hind legs tore my pants. “We both fell to the ground and rolled. I didn’t let go of its neck.

While on the ground with our eyes stuck on each other, I screamed for help. A man arrived. He stoned it until it died,” said Mona. Mona added: I let go and noticed that it was gone. It died before my eyes. I later noticed all my injuries on my face, palm and hand. Mona, whose face is still swollen and slightly disfigured, said he was taken to Rob Ferreira Hospital where he spent eight days before being discharged.

 Above his nose is a scar running below the left eye to the right. Below his left jaw, another visible scar runs towards the ear. Mona’s left palm has a bite wound, his left arm is swollen, and a few fingers are broken.

“This incident has left me traumatised.

I have nightmares battling with the animal. In all my nightmares, I emerged victorious, and the leopard remained alive,” Mona said. “I was lucky to punch it with my fists.

If not, it would have gone to my face or throat. “I had to defend my life. I am too young to die,” Mona said. His mother, Sibongile Nkosi, thought her son had died. “When I heard the news, I thought he was no more.

 I was relieved when hearing that he was alive in the hospital. I am thankful that he survived. I have heard how wild cats have killed many people.

I wish he could get counselling.

 I want compensation,” Nkosi said. The animal was taken away by officials claiming to be from the KNP. KNP spokesperson Ike Phaahla said that any animal that escapes from the KNP or private reserves becomes an issue of the provincial authority.

 However, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) said the veterinary fence around the KNP was found to be intact during their inspection.

“During our inspection, we did not find any holes in the fence,” said spokesperson Kholofelo Nkambule. She added that the MTPA is the custodian of nature conservation of Fauna and Flora in the province and has no policy that deals with compensation for incidents relating to animals.

 “All wild animals in the province are regarded as res nullius (belong to no one),” Nkambule said.

News24.com/Simeon Ugbodovon

Exceptional Africans

Wole Soyinka Bags Cambridge Varsity Honorary Degree

By Web News 829 Post a comment

One of the most prestigious honours in the world, the Cambridge varsity honorary degree was on Wednesday, conferred on Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, alongside nine others “who have made outstanding achievements in their respective fields,” the varsity’s official site noted.

 Other recipients Recipients of the Cambridge’s honorary degree, aside Soyinka, include Ghanian philosopher, Professor Kwame Appiah; literary scholar, Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr, Developmental Biologist, Professor Edith Heard; Music Composer, Dr Judith Weir; and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Dr Ali Smith.

The ceremony, which took place at the varsity’s Senate House had over four hundred staff, students and guests in attendance.

Chancellor of the varsity, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, presided over the ceremony, which was conducted in Latin and English.

Soyinka, who is a playwright, poet, novelist and political activist, won the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986.

He has held visiting appointments at higher institutions in Cambridge, Legon, Atlanta, and Yale.

Culled/ Olaitan Oye-Adeitan

Exceptional Africans

Youngest Chartered Accountant

By Web News 2610

Neither age nor status could debar the African man from breaking records.

He has never won an award in his life. He only had hopes he would pass his professional exams at just a sitting.

Lo and behold, he has his dream come true and has emerged the youngest ever Chartered Accountant in Africa after acing all the required examinations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAN) in Nigeria.

He is Jonathan Adewale and guess his age, just 17 years old.

Exceptional  Jonathan Adewale has now set the record of being the youngest accounting professional in Africa and one of the youngest, if not the youngest, in the world.

At 17 years old, Adewale has joined over 3 million global accounting professionals under the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA). He started writing the accounting professionals examinations at the age of 14 while still in secondary school (High school).

Adewale is however not stopping at that but desires to proceed to the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting with First Class Honors and interestingly has received a full scholarship by the Institute Of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria to realize this goal.

Temidayo Adu

Exceptional Africans

Meet The African “Samson”

By Web News 3640

The first recorded case of a man killing a lion with bare hands was in the Holy Bible, and the man that did that was Samson.

Another record of a similar feat was also found in the Scriptures, talking about the man called David, who killed a lion that took one of his father’s sheep he was tendering.

In the case of Daniel, though he did not kill a lion, he found himself trapped in the den of lions but came out unscathed.

Coming from the Biblical background to the contemporary society, one could also recall the story of a man called Prophet  Daniel Abodunrin.

Way back in 1991, in the ancient city of Ibadan, Abodunrin was reported to have sneaked into the lions’ cage at the University of Ibadan Zoological garden to the shock of many onlookers.

The man was clothed in a red robe and under his armpit was a big Bible. As he entered the cage, he began reciting bible verses, calling unto the ‘God of Daniel’ to perform wonders.

It was gathered that he was shouting Jah, Jah, Jah which was believed to be a shortened form of Jehovah.

 At first, the lions retreated to a corner of their cage. Unknown to the to-be African version of Daniel, retreating is the first thing lions do when they see something unusual in their territory and later they get rid of it.

Prophet Abodurin had thought his faith was really working. He moved nearer to the lions and kept chanting Bible verses. In a flash, the lions pounced on the bemused, confused, and horrified prophet sending a cold stream of shock down the spines of the terrified onlookers.

Prophet Daniel Abodurin battled for his dear life but his strength was no match for that of the hefty lion.

In the series of man’s encounters with the king of the jungle is the most recent of what could be called Biblical Samson-like episode that purportedly occurred in the Iganga district of Uganda. 

A Ugandan man etched his name into the record books by killing a lion with his bare hands. 

The man single-handedly killed the wild monster that showed up before his house in CMS, Iganga.

Despite the fact that he killed the lion by overpowering it, he was however injured in many ways.

Twitter user, @Rickykagino96, uploaded photographs of both the dead Lion and the gravely injured guy. “A man from CMS lganga district in eastern Uganda is nursing wounds after fighting and killing a lion he encountered near his home,” he wrote. 

Who says the African man is not exceptional?

Olaitan Oye-Adeitan

Exceptional Africans

South African Blazes Trail in Fight against Covid-19

By Web News 466

From various innovations to award-winning ideas that can save the world, Africa is not only diverse in its people but also in its industries and creativity.

Africa, a continent beaming with beauty and diversity, has produced some incredible ideas, be it in business, science, art or entertainment, thus debunking the myths, misconceptions and stereotypes about the continent from the Western world.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng once said “The world is used to seeing Africa as a continent of need but we are a continent of creators, innovators, entrepreneurs, teachers and professionals.

South Africa has been one of the countries hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa.

The second wave, no doubt overwhelmed the health sector and the shortage of ventilators and breathing apparatuses became a growing concern.

However, an amalgamation of doctors, engineers and designers rose to the occasion in South Africa and invented an oxygen device known as OxERA.

OxERA is made from an anaesthetic facemask, accumulator bag and adjustable mechanical peep.

Simply known as the Umoya project, the group of inventors at its helm has provided a solution for oxygen provision to patients with severe Covid- 19 infections, who are almost entirely reliant on Oxygen for the duration of their stay in the hospital.

The leader of the team, Dr Craig Parker said “This is unique. It takes the benefits of an oxygen mask and some of the components of non-invasive ventilation onto that simple oxygen mask and ‘fills the gap’ between the devices that we have available at the moment”.

The invention is supposedly easy to adapt, being used in rural and urban hospital environments.

Since its approval for use by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, the group hopes to produce 15,000 units per week.

Forbes Africa/ Olaitan Oye- Adeitan

Exceptional Africans News

Uncommon Surgical Feat By A Nigerian Doctor

By Web News 2021

In recent years, a number of Nigerians have projected the country in the limelight of the medical profession.

These outstanding individuals have through hard work and dedication to duty, projected themselves and earned the respect of their contemporaries in countries of across the globe.

These Nigerians have left indelible prints in the sands of time in countries including; America, Canada, Australia and Europe.

One of such people is Dr Oluyinka Olutoye.

Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye is a renowned fetal and pediatric Nigeria born surgeon based in Texas, USA.

In 2016, he successfully operated on a baby-in-utero. 

The mother, at the 23rd week of pregnancy had gone for a routine ultra-sound and it was discovered that her baby had a rare birth defect known as sacrococcygeal teratoma, a large tumor located on the fetus’ tailbone. 

“This is a very opportune time to be joining the organization as we build upon the already impressive success of our surgical services to help children around the country and increasingly around the world,” he said.” 

Dr Oluyinka Olutoye

“I look forward to the privilege of leading and collaborating with this team in the next phase of our journey.”

Olutoye led a team of 21 doctors to remove the tumor. The five-hour surgery involved removing the baby from the uterus for 20 minutes so as to remove the tumor and then placing the baby back into the womb for the remainder of the gestation period, after which she was safely delivered.

For this groundbreaking feat, Olutoye was appointed surgeon-in-chief at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the US. 

He now leads one of the largest children’s hospital surgery departments in the world.

Olutoye received his medical degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. In 1996, he went on to earn his PhD in anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

He completed his residency in general surgery at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, Virginia Commonwealth University, and his fellowships in pediatric and fetal surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr Olutoye is certified in surgery and pediatric surgery by the American Board of Surgery. 

He is also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the West African College of Surgeons. Olutoye is a member of the American Surgical Association, the American Pediatric Surgical Association and past president of the International Fetal Medicine and Surgery Society.

In 2019, Olutoye was appointed Professor and the E. Thomas Boles Chairman of the pediatric surgery at the Ohio State University College of Medicine.

He has not ceased blazing the trail in this chosen career of his.

Olaitan Oye-Adeitan

Exceptional Africans

Mashudu Tshifularo: African Doctor Who Cured Deafness

By Web News 3468

Who says the African man is not exceptional?

The story of this South African doctor says more about the unique abilities of the African man.

Mashudu Tshifularo is a South African surgeon who blazed the trail in the first-ever transplant of the middle ear which allowed a deaf man to hear.

Prior to 2019, there was no known cure or treatment for deafness around the world.

But thanks to the innovative use of 3D printing technology and the brilliance of the South African surgeon, the world is now open to a process of curing hearing disabilities.

Tshifularo who is also a pastor replaced the damaged bones of the ear of a thirty-five-year-old patient which went dead after a car accident damaged his inner ear.

March 17, 2019, Prof Mashudu Tshifularo at Christ Revealed Fellowship Church in Pretoria. Pic Veli Nhlapo/Sowetan

The surgeon, a professor at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Health Sciences and his medical team performed the surgery at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in less than two hours.

Professor Tshifularo and his team

Speaking on the surgery, Tshifularo explained that, “the team created a replica of the anvil, hammer, stirrup, and ossicles, which make up the inner ear, with similarly-shaped titanium pieces produced on a 3D printer”.

“They then successfully transplanted the replacement into the ear.“

“By replacing only the ossicles that aren’t functioning properly, the procedure carries significantly less risk than known prostheses and their associated surgical procedures. We will use titanium for this procedure, which is biocompatible. We use an endoscope to do the replacement, so the transplant is expected to be quick, with minimal scarring.”

He added that the technique could be the cure for hearing defects irrespective of the patient’s age.

“The patients will get their hearing back immediately but since they will be wrapped in bandages, only after two weeks, when they are removed, will they be able to tell the difference,” Tshifularo said.

Dr Tshifularo showing a model of the middle ear

3D-Printed Organ Replacements: Potential Cure for Deafness?

The University of Pretoria in its reaction to the groundbreaking moment explains the procedure “may be the answer to conductive hearing loss, a middle ear problem caused by congenital birth defects, infection, trauma or metabolic diseases.”

As Tshifularo said, “3D technology is allowing us to do things we never thought we could, but I need sponsors and funding for this invention to take off the ground.”

Olaitan Oye-Adeitan