Ms. Mfonobong Emmanuel Nelson, a graduate of the University of Uyo, has emerged the winner of the maiden edition of the BASF West Africa Young Female Pharmacist of the Year award.
The company, in partnership with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, had announced earlier in 2018, plans to recognise and reward young female pharmacists in an effort to raise awareness on gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and contribute to the bridging of the gap.
The Managing Director, BASF West Africa, Dr. Jean-Marc Ricca, while giving out the cash prizes to the winners at the 91st Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria’s yearly national conference, said with only 17 women having been awarded a nobel prize in physics, chemistry or medicine since 1903, it was the company’s hope that the award would be an impetus for increased interest and enrolment of females in STEM.
In the words of Dr. Jean-Marc Ricca:
“We also look forward to more science focused organisations to step in to make contributions geared towards the generating the interests of females in STEM.”
