UNILAG Honours 2025 Rahamon Bello Best Thesis Winner, Announces Trust Fund, Doubling of Top Prize
Dr. Oluseyi Rotimi Obateru of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, has been awarded the 2025 Rahamon Bello Best Ph.D Thesis in African Studies, receiving a $1,000 prize at a ceremony organised by the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies (IADS), University of Lagos.
Obateru, a lecturer in the Department of Geography, University of Ibadan, won the prestigious award for his thesis titled: “Dynamics of Urban Landscape Structure and Its Impact on Ecosystem Services in the Rainforest and Guinea Savanna Ecoregions of Nigeria.” His Ph.D, obtained in 2025, focused on Climate Change and Human Habitat at FUT Minna. He was supervised by Profs. Apollonia Okhimamhe, Olutoyin Fashae, and Dr. Christopher Conrad.
Director of IADS, Prof. Ayo Yusuf, described the winning thesis as a significant contribution to the expanding field of urban environmental studies, particularly in understanding ecosystem dynamics in Nigeria’s Guinea Savanna region. He commended the depth of literature review and the study’s methodological rigor.
South Africa’s Tholithemba Nombulelo Shange emerged first runner-up for her thesis, “Identity and Environmental Harmony as Practiced by Table Mountain Doctors; A Struggle Over Land and African Healing Systems,” while Abdullahi Babagana of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria placed second runner-up with his research on “Analysis of Terrorist Attack Places in Maiduguri, Nigeria.”
UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola—represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development Services), Prof. Afolabi Lesi—applauded IADS for fostering high-quality research and promoting African scholarship. She noted that the diversity of winners since the award’s inception in 2020 reflects its pan-African character and credibility.
The award’s founder and former UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rahamon Bello, announced a major structural upgrade: the institute will now operate under the Professor Rahamon Bello Endowment Trust Fund, University of Lagos (PRABETFUL). He said the move aims to sustain and expand the award for generations.
Prof. Bello further revealed an upward review of cash prizes from 2026:
“The star prize will be doubled next year—from $1,000 to $2,000. My wish is that one day it grows to $10,000. The goal is to encourage cutting-edge research across disciplines,” he said.
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Expressing gratitude, Obateru said the award reinforces the value of rigorous scholarship across Africa. He described returning to UNILAG—where he once attended a convocation as a child—as “deeply historic.”
Chairman of PRABETFUL, Mr. Afolabi Oladele, highlighted the trust fund as a bridge between academia and the business community, aimed at bolstering research excellence on the continent.
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