Nigerian scientist wins Schlumberger prize

A Nigerian scientist and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Uyo, Edu Inam, has won the 2026 Faculty for the Future Impact Prize of the Schlumberger Foundation.

Inam was among nine women scientists and engineers selected from 156 applications across 61 countries for the inaugural prize, according to a statement by the Foundation.

It was also gathered that Prof. Inam was recognised for her initiative, ‘Scaling a Research Equipment Database for Equitable Access in Nigeria,’ which seeks to improve researchers’ access to scientific equipment and research infrastructure across the country.

Inam, a former Head of the Department of Chemistry at the UNIYO, is also the Director of the International Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability Research at the university.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Uyo, Inam said her background in analytical chemistry exposed her to a recurring problem in Nigeria’s research system.

She said, “My personal challenge has been knowing where functional equipment are located and how to access them in Nigeria’s higher institutions system.”

Inam said equipment sometimes exists in institutions, but researchers do not know where it is, whether it is functional, who manages it, or how to request access.

She added that the situation is worse for students who need specialised equipment to complete research projects for graduation.

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To address the gap, she developed http://LabEquipment.ng, a searchable platform that provides information on available research equipment, their locations and contacts for accessing them.

“The platform was publicly launched in 2021 and by the end of 2025 has brought together 22 institutions, more than 200 pieces of equipment, over 3,000 searches and interactions, and more than 550 users”, she explained.

On what the prize would support, Inam said, “The goal is not simply a larger database. It is a more connected research ecosystem, one in which a student’s experiment is less likely to end at the door of a laboratory with a broken machine.”

She said the funding would enable improvements including mobile access, on-boarding of more institutions and clearer systems for requesting equipment and laboratory services.

“The long-term vision is to change the question from ‘Does my university own this equipment?’ to ‘Where in Nigeria is this capability available, and how can I access it?’” she added.

The President of the Schlumberger Foundation, Capella Festa, said the programme had evolved from supporting the education of women scientists to seeing its fellows apply their expertise to community challenges.

“The Impact Prize allows us to recognise this leadership, connect it across the fellowship and help it travel further,” Festa said.

Other recipients include Dr Darshana Joshi for her work on STEM access for women and rural communities in India; Dr Angela Tabiri for the Mathsqueen National STEAM Circuit; Dr Novalia Pishesha for the Future Southeast Asian Scientist initiative; and Dr Chao Mbogo for mentorship infrastructure for holistic technologists.