Nigerian Amusa grabs Sir Henry Royce award

FORMER chairman of the Institute of Electrical Electronics (IEE) Nigeria Younger Members’ section, Mr. Ebenezer Olukayode Amusa has won the 2005 Sir Henry Royce award.

Mr. Amusa, a graduate from the Obafemi Awolowo University in 2000, has been working in the Nigerian Information Technology (IT) sector till October 2004, when he left Nigeria to pursue his Masters in the United Kingdom (UK).

On completion of his M Sc in Digital Communication Networks at the London Metropolitan University with distinction, he made Nigeria proud by emerging winner of the 2005 Sir Henry Royce award.

The Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation and the IEE set up the Sir Henry Royce Award in 1990. The citation covers a young engineering or IT professional who has shown excellence in the previous year in his or her work in industry or for the profession.

Consisting of a cash prize of £250, a medal and certificate, the award also affords a winner to be invited to attend the Younger Members’ Conference Dinner and Award Ceremony in Birmingham, UK in November, where he would be presented with the medal and certificate by the President of the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation.

Mr. Amusa was chosen for his outstanding contribution in establishing a Younger Members’ Section in Nigeria against difficult odds.

During the five years since founding an IEE Younger Members’ Section in Nigeria, Ebenezer has had to overcome some daunting obstacles in order to lead a small, incubating section into the thriving section it is today.

Ebenezer was nominated for the Sir Henry Royce Award by the Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Younger Members’ Section, Olugbenga Adeyemo, who states that Ebenezer has been ‘very much instrumental to the rapid spread of Younger Members in Nigeria’.

It is the believe of the chapter members that Ebenezer’s contribution has been over and above the high level of dedication that is already required and demonstrated on a regular basis by all IEE Branch and Younger Members’ Section Honorary Officers.

They cite as an example, the fact that Ebenezer has twice purchased flight tickets from Nigeria to the UK from his own funds in order to ensure that the Nigerian Younger Members’ Section should have access to the opportunities for training, networking and sharing of best practice at the IEE’s annual Younger Members’ Conference for Honorary Officers and Committee members in the UK.