The Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences (NSPS) has announced the recipients of its 2026 PhD Thesis Prize across five academic sections: Chemistry, Mathematics & Statistics, Earth Sciences, Physics & Astronomy, and Computer Science, following what it described as a rigorous and transparent evaluation process.
The Society said the annual prize recognises doctoral research that demonstrates outstanding scholarly merit, originality, and meaningful contributions to the advancement of knowledge within the physical and computational sciences.
Chemistry
For the Chemistry Section, the 2026 NSPS PhD Thesis Prize was awarded to Dr Temitope Ogunnupebi, a doctoral graduate of Covenant University.
She was honoured for her PhD thesis titled “Structure-Based Design and Synthesis of Benzimidazole, Benzothiazole, and Other Arylated Derivatives as Potential Antimicrobial and Insecticidal Agents.” According to the Society, the work demonstrated strong originality, scientific rigour, and relevance to contemporary challenges in organic and medicinal chemistry, particularly in the rational design and synthesis of bioactive compounds.
Dr Ogunnupebi graduated with a first-class degree in industrial chemistry from Wesley University, Ondo, in 2016. She obtained a master’s degree in industrial chemistry (organic chemistry) from Landmark University in 2020 and completed her PhD in industrial chemistry (organic and natural product chemistry) at Covenant University. Her doctoral studies were fully supported by the Covenant University Bioinformatics Research Cluster (CUBRe) Scholarship.
She has also served as a part-time lecturer at Crawford University’s School of Part-Time Studies. Her research focuses on drug design and the synthesis of bioactive organic compounds, integrating computer-aided drug design with experimental laboratory methods. She has over sixteen SCOPUS-indexed publications, has served as a peer reviewer for reputable journals, and is a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Mathematics & Statistics
In the Mathematics & Statistics Section, the prize was conferred on Dr Timilehin Gideon Shaba, a doctoral graduate of Landmark University, Nigeria.
He was recognised for his thesis titled “New Derivation of q-Differential and q-Convolution Operators on Certain Subclasses of Analytic Functions,” which was assessed as exhibiting strong originality, mathematical rigour, and a substantive contribution to contemporary research in complex analysis, particularly within geometric function theory, q-series, and special functions.
Dr Shaba obtained his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, in 2017, his Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree from the University of Ilorin in 2022, and completed his PhD in mathematics at Landmark University in 2025.
His scholarly output has earned him notable recognition, including being ranked among the top 500 authors in Nigeria between 2021 and 2025 and among the top 500 mathematicians in Africa between 2021 and 2024. He has received an Award of Excellence in Research Publication for contributions to high-impact Q1 journals, with publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science.
Earth Sciences
For the Earth Sciences Section, the 2026 prize was awarded to Dr Temitayo Olamide Ale, a doctoral graduate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko.
Dr Ale was honoured for his thesis titled “Geotechnical, Geophysical, and Hydrogeochemical Modelling of Contaminants Flow from Dumpsites around Owo and Ikare-Akoko, Southwestern Nigeria.” The Society noted that the research demonstrated strong originality, methodological rigour, and relevance to contemporary challenges in hydrogeology and environmental geosciences, particularly in modelling subsurface contaminant migration.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in geology (second class upper division) from Adekunle Ajasin University in 2013, a Master of Technology (M.Tech) degree in hydrogeology and engineering geology from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 2018, and completed his PhD in hydrogeology and engineering geology in 2025.
Dr Ale currently teaches geological sciences at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and is actively involved in student supervision and academic mentoring. He has published over thirty scholarly articles, including thirteen SCOPUS-indexed publications, serves on editorial boards of high-ranking journals, and acts as a reviewer for several reputable scientific journals.
Physics & Astronomy
In the Physics & Astronomy Section, the NSPS PhD Thesis Prize was awarded to Dr Paul Oyeyiola Adesina, a doctoral graduate of Redeemer’s University.
He received the award for his thesis titled “Vibrational Dynamics of Driven Oscillators with Phase-Modulated Potential Structures,” which the Society described as exhibiting strong originality, analytical depth, and significant contributions to theoretical and computational physics, particularly in driven dynamical systems.
Dr Adesina graduated among the top five students in a class of 55 with a Second Class Upper degree in Physics from the University of Ibadan in 2014. He obtained his Master’s degree in Theoretical Physics from the same institution in 2017 and completed his PhD in Theoretical and Computational Physics at Redeemer’s University in 2025.
He served as a teaching assistant from October 2021 to April 2024 and joined the University of Ibadan as an assistant lecturer in June 2024. Dr Adesina has authored three SCOPUS-indexed journal articles, one conference proceeding, and a textbook chapter, and has been a member of the American Physical Society (APS) since 2016.
Computer Science
For the Computer Science Section, the 2026 prize was awarded to Dr Bello Alhaji Buhari, a doctoral graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He was recognised for his PhD thesis titled “Web-based User Authentication and Access Control: An Enhanced Multi-Factor Biometric Cryptographic Scheme Based on Client File and S13 Quantum Key Distribution Protocol.” The thesis was assessed as demonstrating strong originality, technical depth, and relevance to contemporary cybersecurity challenges.
Dr Buhari obtained his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (Second Class Upper Division) from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, in 2000, earned his master’s degree from Ahmadu Bello University in 2009, and completed his PhD in Computer Science (Cybersecurity) in 2025. Since 2004, he has served as a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. His research interests include cybersecurity, authentication systems, and cryptographic protocols, with publications indexed in Scopus.
The Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences said the award ceremony for all recipients will be held on 10 February 2026.
