Two Nigerian dons make list of top global scientists

Elsevier BV, based at Stanford University, United States of America, has named two Nigerian professors among the topmost productive scientists in the world.

Elsevier B.V is an academic publishing company that publishes medical and scientific literature. The two are: Dean of Faculty of Physical Sciences, Prof. Kayode Oyewumi, and immediate past Director, Central Research Laboratories, Prof. Musa Yakubu, both of the University of Ilorin.

The university stated this in its bulletin issued yesterday in Ilorin. Speaking on behalf of the duo, Oyewumi said researchers’ ranking has become a global tool for evaluating intellectualism, academic prowess, research excellence and impact in the 21st century.

“While many ranking bodies are questionable and generally unacceptable, an emerging reputable and distinguished ranking body has named two University of Ilorin dons among the world’s top two scientists,” he noted.

Oyewumi said 180,000 scientists were selected from the more than eight million active scientists worldwide in 22 major scientific fields and 176 subfields.

“The list is led by Prof. John Loannidis of Stanford University with the use of verifiable data drawn from the Scopus database. The method adopted for the ranking involved the use of a complex algorithm based on ranking parameters such as Scopus documents (1960-2020).

“It also includes citations (including distinct citing papers) and co-authorship (including first authorship), among others,” he said.

The dean explained that the long list contained names of few Nigerian scientists drawn primarily from universities and research institutes globally. He described the inclusion of himself and Prof. Yakubu in the list as a reflection of the valuable impact of University of Ilorin researchers on the global research platform.

“The recent achievement is certainly inspirational to young faculty members and research scholars. It is hoped that the next edition of the ranking will feature more scientists from University of Ilorin and Nigeria,” Oyewumi said.