Gyang Bere, Jos
Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has expressed excitement with a 25-year-old Nwangele Godwin, a Nigerian, emerging winner of the 2020 Rhodes Scholarship for West Africa.
Lalong, in a statement signed by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr Makut Simon Macham, said he is delighted that Godwin was born and brought up in Jos.
He said with the selection of Nwangele Godwin, he becomes the second Nigerian and the fourth recipient of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship from the sub-continent since its re-launch in 2017.
Lalong said Godwin, an Electrical and Electronics Engineering graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was born in 1994 at the Ande Hospital and grew up in Tudun Wada area of Jos, Plateau State.
“I congratulate you for being elected as a Rhodes Scholar which is a rare award that goes not only to the brightest, but to young people with dexterity and character that projects a future filled with hope and expectations,” the Governor stated.
Lalong said the rare achievement is another testimony to the great minds that have emerged out of Plateau State and are making the country and the world proud.
“This achievement puts you in the exclusive list of great achievers that we are planning to celebrate during the Glorious Stars Event coming up in 2020 where we plan to tell the positive stories of Plateau State as we continue to rebrand and open up our potentials to the outside world. We are very proud of as a young ambassador of our State.”
He said the State realizes that the unfortunate crises of the recent past had sought to damage the hard-earned reputation and positive image of the State as the Home of Peace and Tourism as well as centre of learning, entertainment, sports and creativity.
This he said has to be countered with the right narratives which can be told simply and clearly by the testimonies of those who were groomed in Plateau State before being unleashed to the world where they made, and are still making huge impact.
The Governor encouraged Godwin to continue to be a good ambassador of Plateau State as he proceeds to Oxford University, United Kingdom, for his post graduate studies.
He said Godwin attended Albakans Pre-Science Private School, Tudun Wada-Jos, before where he constantly maintained the top spot in his class and represented Plateau State at the NTIC Regional Mathematics Completion where he came tops, doing the State proud.
He said Godwin has indicated interest to study Energy Systems at Oxford and says his goal is to deepen his technical knowledge, enhance leadership skills, build valuable networks and develop a global strategy that would help to grow the vision of energy sustainability in Africa and beyond.
He said Godwin was selected out of a total of 2,783 applications who registered as intending scholars for the 177 year old Rhodes scholarship which started in 1902 with past scholars including former US President Bill Clinton, among other world leaders.