A Nigerian scientist and former Vice Chancellor of Redeemers University, Prof. Tomori Oyewale, has been elected as the Bureau Chairman of West African Network of the National Academies of Sciences (WANNAS).
Oyewale, a virologist and former head of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences (NAS), was elected alongside others by the WANNAS General Assembly during its 3-day meeting, which ended on Thursday in Abuja.
Also elected as officials of the WANNAS Bureau were Senegal’s Prof. Moctar Touré, as 1st Vice Chairman; while Ghana’s Prof. Benjamin Ahunu, was elected 2nd Vice Chairman.
While Prof. Makalé Traoré of Guinea was elected 3rd Vice Chairman, Prof. Crépin Bipene of Ivory Coast emerged as Bureau Secretary-General, Burkina Faso’s Prof. Pare Afsita, was elected as Treasurer.
The General Assembly also elected Prof. Holo Théodore of Benin and Prof. Gumedzoé Mawuena of Togo as co-authors.
Meanwhile, the General Assembly also established the headquarters of WANNAS in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast.
According to the adopted report of the WANNAS General Assembly meeting, which ended on Thursday at the ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, the West African scientists also made numerous recommendations for ECOWAS.
These included the recommendation that ECOWAS should encourage collaboration among the National Academies of Sciences in ECOWAS member countries and facilitate the Roadmap’s implementation by mobilising funding for WANNAS success.
They also resolved that the academies of member states should endeavor to widely disseminate the results of the General Assembly meeting, implement the tasks described in the Roadmap and mobilise all the Members of their National Academies to take ownership of the Roadmap.
Participants at the meeting who physically attended were from Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Togo and Nigeria, while Burkina Faso and Mali participated online.
Other participants included UNESCO Regional Office, Abuja, ECOPOST Consultants, resource persons, and staff members of the Department of Education, Science and Culture of the ECOWAS Commission.
The report was signed by Prof. Braide Ekanem, the Chairperson of the meeting.
