The Nigerian Academy of Science, NAS, on Friday held the 2014 edition of its special luncheon for science journalists which featured the NAS media award and a public presentation of report on tobacco control.
At the event, Bukola Adebayo of the Punch Newspapers emerged winner of the 2014 Science Journalist of the Year Award. Adebayo won the award with her report titled, “On the Track of Blood Merchants.”
Adebayo’s winning piece was selected by a group of panelists which include Ademola Oyinlola, Deputy Editor-in Chief, TELL Magazine; Oladoyin Odubanjo, Executive Secretary, NAS; and Olusegun Adewoye, Public Affairs Secretary, NAS.
An elated Adebayo thanked the NAS and her editor for “giving her time to work on the report that earned her the award.”
The event, which held at the Conference Room C of the Protea Hotel, Isaac John Street, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, was also aimed at creating awareness on the dangers of tobacco consumption and the need for government at all levels to enforce proper policies to discourage its consumption.
With the theme: “Preventing a Tobacco Epidemic in Africa: A Call for Effective Action to Support Health, Social, and Economic Development,” the event attracted prominent personalities in the health sector.
Some of the personalities include Olajide Idris, Lagos State commissioner for health; Hodewu Suuru Avoseh, Chairman, Committee on Health, Lagos State House of Assembly; Olusegun Adewoye, Public Affairs Secretary, NAS; Gloria Elemo, Director-General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, FIIRO.
Others include Lekan Asuni, Managing Director, GSK Pharmaceuticals; Prof Oyewale Tomori, President, NAS; and Christian Acemah, representative, United States Academy of Science, USNA.
Tomori who tasked the media on the need to educate the public on the dangers of tobacco consumption, recommended that measures be taken to protect the environment and the health of persons from tobacco.
He also called for an integration of information on the ill-effects of tobacco in schools’ curricula and formulation of programmes that provide economically-viable alternatives for tobacco farmers.

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