The Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences (NSPS) has announced five recipients of its 2026 PhD Thesis Prize, recognising their outstanding doctoral research across key areas of the physical sciences.
Dr. Babatunde Falaiye, Secretary of NSPS, said, in a statement issued on Monday, that the prizes, awarded annually, recognised theses with originality, academic excellence and significant contributions to knowledge.
Falaiye said the 2026 awardees emerged after a rigorous and transparent evaluation process conducted by experts across the relevant disciplines.
The winners included Dr Paul Adesina for Physics and Astronomy; Dr Timilehin Shaba for Mathematics and Statistics and Dr Temitayo Ale for Earth Sciences.
Dr Bello Buhari got the prize for Computer Science and Dr Temitope Ogunnupebi for Chemistry.
Adesina, a Doctoral Graduate from the Redeemers University, had his thesis titled: “Vibrational Dynamics of Driven Oscillators with Phase-Modulated Potential Structures.”
“His work demonstrated strong originality and analytical depth, with notable contributions to theoretical and computational physics, particularly in the study of driven dynamical systems.
“Shaba, a doctoral graduate of Landmark University, had his thesis on ‘New Derivation of q-Differential and q-Convolution Operators on Certain Subclasses of Analytic Functions.’
“The research is mathematically rigorous, with substantive contributions to complex analysis, geometric function theory, q-series and special functions.
“Ale received an award for his research titled: ‘Geotechnical, Geophysical and Hydrogeochemical Modelling of Contaminants Flow from Dumpsites around Owo and Ikare-Akoko, Southwestern Nigeria’,’’ Falaiye said.
According to the NSPS scribe, Ale’s research is relevant to environmental geosciences and hydrogeology.
He said that the Computer Science Prize was awarded to Buhari, a Doctoral Graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
“His thesis was on ‘Web-based User Authentication and Access Control: An Enhanced Multi-Factor Biometric Cryptographic Scheme Based on Client File and S13 Quantum Key Distribution Protocol,” he noted.
The work, according to the NSPS, addresses contemporary challenges in cybersecurity and secure authentication systems.
“Ogunnupebi won the award for Chemistry with her thesis on ‘Structure-Based Design and Synthesis of Benzimidazole, Benzothiazole and Other Arylated Derivatives as Potential Antimicrobial and Insecticidal Agents’.
“The research showed strong originality and relevance to medicinal and organic chemistry,’’ Falaiye said.
Falaiye congratulated the award recipients for their exceptional scholarly achievements and reaffirmed the society’s commitment to fostering excellence in postgraduate research and advancing scientific knowledge for national development.
