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Edo Varsity Don Tops African Researchers In Scholarly Publications

Published

2 years ago

October 15, 2023

A professor of Microbiology and Director of Research and Innovation at the Edo State University, Uzairue has emerged as the number one among the top 500 African authors for scholarly outputs between 2020 and 2023.

The rating was done by SciVal, an online tool that helps researchers and research institutions visualise their research performance, benchmark it relative to peers, identify and analyse emerging research trends and develop collaborative partnerships.

In the rating, Adetunji, who is the Dean, Faculty of Science at the institution, had 70 scholarly output and 270 citations within the period in the area of General Agricultural and Biological Sciences.

Adetunji, who was recently conferred with the fellow of the Biotechnology Society of Nigeria, also emerged as number one among all authors in the “all subject areas” with 1,025 citations and 229 scholarly output.

Meanwhile, a professor of Mechanical Engineering and the deputy faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange) at Northumbria University, United Kingdom, Esther Akinlabi, emerged fifth with 176 scholarly output and 594 citations within the given year.

Other top 10 professors of Nigerian descent are Joshua Ighalo, Joseph Awotunde, Adewale Adeniyi, Ojo Fayomi and Moses Emetere.

The don, who is an alumnus of the University of Ilorin, was celebrated on the university’s Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) pages.

The post read in part, “We proudly celebrate our distinguished alumnus, Prof Charles Adetunji, who has attained the prestigious number one position among the top 500 prolific authors in Nigeria, a distinction he has maintained since 2020, as recognised by SciVal/SCOPUS.

“Notably, he recently clinched the number one spot in two distinct fields: Biological Sciences and Agricultural Science, surpassing 500 prolific authors hailing from 58 different countries across Africa.

“Prof Adetunji boasts an impressive track record of publishing numerous scientific journals and conference proceedings in refereed national and international publications, accumulating over 580 manuscripts, including more than 40 books and multiple scientific patents. His remarkable Google Scholar i10-Index stands at 136.”

Headline

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

17 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

17 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

Headline

US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

17 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”