By Fatima Zahra Mohammed
The Academy of Natural Science and Engineering in Nigeria (ANSEN) has approved the nomination of the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Kabiru Bala, for its Fellowship (FANSE), an award regarded as one of its highest national honours that an applied scientist or engineer may receive.
A letter conveying his nomination for the Fellowship signed by the Academy’s Interim President, Prof. Danladi S. Matawal, clearly explained that Prof. Bala’s selection was based on his “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.”
The Academy, which was incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, is to bring together the knowledge and experience of some of the best and brightest engineers and scientists, inventors and technologists in Nigeria and from around the world to, among others, promote excellence in engineering, pure and applied science.
The ANSEN Interim President explained that Prof. Bala’s nomination and approval for the Fellowship award followed “a very careful consideration and scrutiny” of his “excellent track records” which will be immensely beneficial to the vision for recognising the superior achievements of the talents for national and international benefits.
The Academy, whose philosophy shall be the “pursuit, promotion and sustenance of excellency in the whole field of science and engineering to useful purpose in order to accelerate the advancement of the science at the practices of professions for the benefit of the public,” is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation.
The Fellowship is considered to be one of the highest national honours that an applied scientist or engineer may receive and must not be considered as a mere award or trophy, as every person admitted to the fellowship subscribes to an obligation to promote the charitable aim of the Academy.
And in pursuit of this charitable aim, Fellows engage in a vast variety of activities with and on behalf of the Academy; and these include supporting applied science and engineering research, policy formulation, education and entrepreneurship and public engagement.
Bala is a professor of Construction Management, and has attracted research grants from a variety of funding sources, and donations to Ahmadu Bello University, and facilitated several collaborations with local and international institutions.
He is a member of several national and international professional organisations, which include the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), the Society of Construction Industry Arbitrators (SCIArb), International Facility Management Association, (IFMA), Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) U.K, International Association of Housing Science (IAHS), Association for Project Management (APM) U.K, among others.
