Nigeria’s Prof. Ademola Adenle won the inaugural global M.S. Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace, recognizing his outstanding contributions to food security, climate justice, rural development, and empowering vulnerable communities.
The award was presented at the M.S. Swaminathan Centenary International Conference in New Delhi by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and honors the legacy of Professor M.S. Swaminathan, known as the “Father of India’s Green Revolution”.
Prof. Adenle is a senior special adviser on agricultural innovation in Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture. His work covers biosciences, renewable energy, public health, and policy advocacy aimed at improving livelihoods in Africa and other developing regions.
He dedicated the award to smallholder farmers and rural communities, emphasizing inclusive policies and partnerships to achieve sustainable development goals.
The award highlights transformative work in food security and sustainable agriculture and is considered a “mini Nobel Peace Prize.” Prof. Adenle plans to launch the Women in Biosciences Initiative focusing on rural agricultural training, entrepreneurship, and renewable energy, collaborating with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in Africa and Asia.
This award was instituted by the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in memory of the late Professor M.S. Swaminathan, who passed away in 2023 and was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2024.
Source: Vanguard
