The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, AIMS, on Wednesday, December 12, announced the first cohort of the Small Research Grants in Climate Change Science: Daniel Akinyele of Nigeria; Lindani Ncube of South Africa; Ayansina Ayanlade of Nigeria; Adanna Henri-Ukoha of Nigeria; Timothy Dube of Zimbabwe and Muhire Innocent of Rwanda.

“Climate change is affecting all facets of society, contributing to lower agricultural productivity, a greater burden of diseases, and forced migration, among other consequences. African scientists, like the selected grantees, have a crucial role to play in providing solutions to the challenges posed by climate change. The small research grants program hopes to facilitate the provision of such solutions,” Wilfred Ndifon, AIMS director of Research, said.

The AIMS Small Research Grants in Climate Change is part of the Mathematical Science for Climate Change Resilience, MS4CR, programme which is made possible by a grant from Canada’s International Development Research Centre, with the support of Global Affairs Canada and administered by the AIMS.

The six grantees were selected through a rigorous review and selection process. Their projects will include among others: developing localized ‘clean energy’ models for off-grid applications in rural communities. This will increase access to a sustainable supply of ‘clean energy’, especially because such communities usually lack access to grid electricity or are unable to afford electricity. Additionally, off-grid energy reduces greenhouse gas emission through a reduction in the usage of hazardous fossil fuel-powered technologies (coal, natural gas, or petroleum) for energy production. Off-grid energy technologies can therefore significantly lower health risk, reduce energy prices and improve livelihoods. Additional projects will investigate the effects of climate change on the yields of important cash crops (coffee and tea) in Rwanda, and how best farmers in Nigeria can sustainably adapt to climate change etc.

Over the next four years, 16 small research grants will be awarded to outstanding early career African researchers to fund projects that can contribute to strengthening climate change resilience on local and/or global scales.

Get to know the first cohort of the AIMS Small Research Grantees in Climate Change Science:

Daniel Akinyele is a lecturer at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Lagos, Nigeria. Akinyele received a Ph.D. in Engineering (Renewable Energy) from the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He has served as a Senior Engineer at the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, Abuja, Nigeria.

Lindani Ncube is a researcher at the University of South Africa, UNISA. Ncube holds a Ph.D. degree in Geology from the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. Her research spans the area of geology (geological field mapping, core logging, sediments sampling, exploration, the building of geological block models etc.) and geochemistry. Read more here

Ayansina Ayanlade is a researcher and lecturer in the Department of Geography, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and a project associate under the Urbanisation and Global Environmental Change, UGEC, core projects of International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change, IHDP. Ayanlade completed his Ph.D. in Geography in King’s College London, United Kingdom.

Adanna Henri-Ukoha is a lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Henri-Ukoha obtained a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics – Resource and Environmental Economics Bias from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri Imo State, Nigeria.

Timothy Dube is a senior lecturer in Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Dube holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science (specialising in GIScience and Earth Observation) from the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. He is a National Research Foundation, NRF,-rated researcher and a specialist in GIScience, Global Position System, GPS, & Remote Sensing applications in solving climate change and environmental related problems.

Innocent Muhire is a senior lecturer at the University of Rwanda – College of Education. Muhire holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Management obtained from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He has relevant practical working experience in training and capacity building of staff and scholars gained through the delivery of various academic courses/modules of geography, environment, GIS among others at different institutions in Rwanda.

– Dec. 14, 2018 @ 9:12 GMT |